Chronicles of the Dragon Ninja
by Chrisdz
Summary: Naruto's story is a well known one. However what if a change had occurred the night of the sealing. Now armed with all that he would have lacked Naruto will take the world be storm. Slight Ninja Gaiden cross pairings undecided.
1. Chapter 1

Chronicles of the Dragon Ninja

Chapter 1

Within the canopy of trees that covered all of Hi no Kuni four figures were dashing across the branches at incredible speeds. At the head of this group was a man who despite his youthful appearance was actually one-hundred and forty. He had long red hair that was held in a tail that reached his mid back and serious green eyes. His outfit consisted of a simple pair of grey hakuma pants and a blue kimono top; his name is Uzumaki Kentaro, the head of the Uzumaki Clan of Uzu no Kuni.

The three figures just behind him were his chosen guards for this trip. Unfortunately he was running late which explained their rather hurried pace. Suddenly a loud roar echoed through the air causing him to pale.

"Kuso the beast has escaped; we must hurry."

At his words his guards nodded and as one all four of them disappeared.

* * *

><p>Namikaze Minato scowled from his position atop the Hokage Monument as he looked upon the gargantuan form of the Kyubi no Kitsune which thanks to the unexpected and unwelcome arrival of an orange garbed and masked man had been released from the seal that had once held it captive. The beast roared loudly as its sights zeroed in on him, its large red eyes wild and showing nothing but animalistic rage. Blue eyes narrowed in determination as Minato watched the tailed beast fire off a blast of red chakra from its mouth directly at him.<p>

In a quick motion of his hands he had one of his special tri-pronged kunai in his hands as he flashed through a small chain of seals finishing just as the blast descended upon him. The effect was immediate as the blast of energy neared the mountain only to vanish as it was sucked into the tip of the kunai. In but a few moments a massive explosion was heard and a red glow could be seen miles behind the village.

That done the Yondaime vanished only to appear with a large plume of smoke standing atop of the gargantuan form of the Toad Boss Gamabunta. He ignored the elated cries of his ninja as he made his presence known among them and instead kept his focus intently on the Kyubi.

"**So it's come to this eh Minato**." Spoke Gamabunta upon spotting the fox.

"Hai. I just need you to hold it off long enough for me to complete my jutsu." Said Minato in response not removing his gaze from the fox.

"**Alright but hurry it up, this is the fucking Kyuubi we're talking about**."

The fox chose just that moment to charge forward only for its lunge to be parried by the toad boss's dagger. Before the beast could both it and the blond Hokage had vanished.

"Gotta set up a barrier." Said Minato as he dodged through the limbs of the beast carrying the exhausted form of his red haired wife in his arms.

He had managed to bring the battle outside of the village thanks to his Hiraishin no jutsu, however due to the size of the beast it hadn't taken him as far as he'd have liked. Instead he'd actually would up just outside of his own home, one which was now destroyed. He'd only just been able to gather up his wife and son before the fox could reorient itself. Before anything else could be said or done however the beast roared and the ground shook due to a massive impact.

Turning to look both were surprised to find the beast lying on the ground and bound in glowing blue chains. Following the chains to their source the duo spotted a figure crouched to their left clad in blue from head to toe with only the metal plate with the swirl emblem showing their allegiance. On the ground before him was a scroll from which the chains could be seen connected to.

"Good we made it in time. For a moment I feared you would do something stupid."

The voice immediately had their attention and the turned towards it to find a man that made Kushina's eyes water as tears pooled within them.

"Father h-how…" stuttered Kushina not even able to complete her sentence.

"A discussion best served for later when the current situation has been resolved."

As Kentaro said this he approached the woman and was not too surprised to find a small baby cradled within her arms. With a motion of his hand another of the blue clad figures appeared next to the Uzumaki clan head.

"See to my daughter would you Hanataro-kun." Said Kentaro.

"Of course Kentaro-sama: Kushina-sama everything will be fine." Said Hanataro speaking softly as his hands began to glow green with healing chakra.

"I suppose you know what must be done." Said Kentaro turning to Minato.

"I had a contingency plan prepared just in case. However that plan was for the worst case and isn't need completely though I can tweek it a bit." Said Minato with a frown.

"I was originally going to use the Shiki Fujin and the Hakke no Fuin Shiki. Instead I'll substitute the Shiki Fujin for the Sokubaku no Kihaku Fujin (Spirit Binding Seal) with the Hakke no Fuin Shiki I can allow some of the Yang chakra to leak out of the seal for Naruto's usage." Said Minato.

"That's a good plan. However the leakage should be the Yin chakra. The boy will already have a phenomenal amount of physical energy on his own, thanks to the Uzumaki genetics. Yang chakra would most likely only make him extremely hyper active as he'll have too much energy to burn through. Yin chakra on the other hand would balance him well; it may even boost his chakra control to levels surpassing Mito-sama's." explained Kentaro.

Minato understood seeing the wisdom in the older man's words. After all it was the Uzumaki clan that was renowned as the greatest Fuinjutsu users in the world for a reason, Kushina had taught him about sealing after all.

"I had thought about that myself. However Yin release is primarily for genjutsu. Yang chakra however is more geared toward Naruto's strong points. Either way he'd still need to work on chakra control constantly according to Mito-sama's notes. However the driving point for me was that Yang chakra would give Naruto a phenomenal healing factor in her theory." Explained Minato.

"I see your point there. It would make sense that any excess energy would go to other functions. In either case this is your show to run Yondaime, as Hokage it is your responsibility."

Minato nodded in understanding at the man's not so hidden message. Running through a chain of seals he slammed his hand to the ground causing a plume of smoke to cover the area before him. When the smoke cleared a small red cushion similar to a crib appeared surrounded by lit candles. Moving over to his wife who was looking much better than before the two shared a look before she handed him his newborn son. For a moment he admired the sleeping babies blond hair and in just that moment holding his son the drama that had taken place that night no longer mattered, even the bound form of the fox was just a footnote in the background.

The Kyubi however would not remain idle and upon seeing the ceremonial throne began thrashing wildly only for the remaining unoccupied bodyguard to withdraw a scroll and slam it into the ground. Almost immediately he flashed through a short chain of seals causing chains to burst forth from the scroll to bind the fox even more. Seeing this Minato wasted no more time and placed the boy down on the cushion.

Running through a quick chain of seals the blond Hokage crouched down and placed his hands upon the baby boys stomach. Immediately a blurry looking seal sprang into existence in the shape of the Uzumaki swirl. As it appeared four chains shot out from the boys stomach glowing blue with chakra and made quick work of wrapping themselves around the fox. Seeing this the two Uzu bodyguards released their own seals causing the chains they made to retract back into the scrolls. Kyubi roared as the chakra chains tightened their hold onto it before it turned into a mass of red chakra that was quickly pulled within the spiral seal which soon enough filled out completely.

That done Minato ran through even more seals before once more placing his hands upon his son. As he did this kanji script appeared above and below the original seal before both seals flashed once and faded into the infants skin. This was the scene that the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen and his entourage stumbled onto at just that moment.

"Minato thank Kami for a moment I feared the worst." Said Hiruzen as he came to a stop.

"You and I both. I was afraid for a moment I'd have to pull yhou from retirement." Said Minato.

"Perhaps we should move this conversation to a more secure location." Said Kentaro before too much could be said.

"Yes I suppose that would be best, to my office then." Said Minato.

* * *

><p>"I see so that's what happened." Said Hiruzen with narrowed eyes while Kentaro just nodded.<p>

Despite the fact that Kushina was occupying herself with her newborn all three men knew that the Uzumaki born woman was listening intently to the discussion as well. At the moment Hiruzen was using his Hokage mindset so that they could completely resolve the situation, he would mourn his wife after as she'd have wanted.

"Any ideas who this masked man could be?" questioned Hiruzen.

"Just the single Sharingan eye he showed which he was using to induce the foxes rage. What's more troubling was his statement that doors to his goal were still open" said Minato with a sigh.

"Well if his tells us anything it's that we can no longer use women for the sealing." Said Kentaro after a moment.

"I was thinking the same myself. A man will never go through the child birthing process so the seal won't weaken and they won't be caught in that rather vulnerable position; no offence Kushina-hime." Said Minato.

"Hmph we know that wouldn't have happened any other time huh Naru-chan. Mommy would have crushed his skull Datebane!" said Kushina getting the three men to sweatdrop.

"The people will demand answers." Said Hiruzen after a moment.

"I'll deal with it Sarutobi-sensei." Assured Minato.

"Kushina perhaps you and the baby should come stay in Uzu. At lest until you're back to full health and Minato can get the village back under control." Said Kentaro.

"What do you think Naru-chan? Do you want to go stay with Kentaro-jiji for a little while." Said Kushina to the baby boy who giggled in response.

* * *

><p>Nearly a week passed in which time Minato had done much work to set the village on the road to recovery. All but the most important of missions had been put on hold so that his forces could help with the rebuilding of the damaged sections of the village. He'd even gone so far as to recall his own sensei Jiraiya to help him with a few special projects. A memorial service for those who had fallen in the attack had also been organized and held.<p>

Nearly everyone had shown up and none was mourned more than Sarutobi Biwako who many had looked to as a second mother a role that she had embraced whole heartedly. Now a week after the day he stood staring down upon the masses from his position over looking them. At his sides stood both Jiraiya and Hiruzen while behind them his own student by the name of Hatake Kakashi was standing unseen by the masses.

"People of Konoha." Called Minato a voice amplification jutsu making sure he was heard.

"Many of you have come to me for answers in the last week and I thank all of you for your patience while we got the village affairs back in order. Nonetheless one week ago today our village was attacked not by the Kyubi but by a masked man who actually summoned and forced it upon our village. It is because of this man who I was forced to engage in battle that I was not on the field to battle the fox immediately."

Mummers swept through the crowd at this point as their Yondaime was known as an army killer so this said a lot about the threat the man had faced.

"Despite the battle however the man managed to escape and as such will be placed within the bingo book as an S-class criminal for the deaths caused by the Kyuubi, the murder of Sarutobi Biwako, and the attempted murders of my wife and son who was just born that night."

Immediatley as his statement was said a hush fell over the crowd. Namikaze Minato was not only their Hokage but the most eligible and sought after bachelor within the village. No one however had even been aware that he was seeing anyone and the news he'd married and had a child was shocking.

"Thanks to the attack by this man my wife has been escorted back to her homeland along with my son until she can fully recover from the attack. As such I must thank and acknowledge my wife's clan, the Uzumaki Clan who arrived in time to help me in dealing with the fox." Finished Minato.

"Hokage-sama I thought the Uzumaki clan was wiped out." Called out one of the shinobi amongst the clan.

"As we all did. However it seems not all of them perished that day and many survived including my father in law. As it is however only 1/3 of the clan survived which still gives them a large number of members." Explained Minato.

"Hokage-sama do we still need to worry of the Kyubi?" questioned one of the many civilians.

"No. Shodai-sama had a plain laid down in case we were faced with a bijuu. This plan called for a living vessel capable of becoming the bijuu's prison and warden." Explained Minato.

"But wouldn't the person be in danger of possession?" questioned another civilian.

"No. this seal designed by Shodai-sama's wife would ensure that the two minds remained separate while the prisoners mind was bound completely. I have taken this a step further using the Hakke no Fuin Shiki of the Uzumaki clan and have made it so that the vessel would slowly siphon off the foxes chakra which would be converted to human chakra after which point its spirit would be ejected and eaten by the Shinigami." Answered the man.

"Could the fox not at least influence them?" questioned another civilian.

"Well we've had no problems of this in the past. The last two vessels were perfectly normal meaning they cannot be influenced in any way. Mito-sama's children turned out perfectly find right Sandaime-sama." Said Minato shocking the crowd.

"Hai, there was no trace of anything demonic whatsoever. Though it seems Tsunade inherited her grandmothers temper." Mused Hiruzen.

This left the crowd shocked senseless. Not only had there been two vessels that had lived among them but one of them had in fact been the wife of the Shodai Hokage of all people. At this revelation everyone dismissed any thoughts of demonic influence as the Shodai had been the father of the village, and his wife had been its mother. She had been kind, nurturing, and fiercely protective of all of them.

"Hokage-sama what is the name of the hero who protects us from the beast?" questioned another of the civilians.

"His name is Naruto. Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto." Said Minato

The resulting screams of praise in the name of his son was enough to put a smile on the Yondaime's face. It had been a gamble revealing Mito had been a vessel but thankfully it was one that had paid off. The Yondaime had no idea just how easily things could've gone the other way if he had neglected to mention Mito.

* * *

><p>Uzushio was a beautiful place. It had taken a weeks travel to reach at the civilians pace they'd traveled at but it was a wondrous sight and the wait had only made it even more worth it in Kushina's mind. It amazed her seeing just how many people had survived the attack all those years ago. Of course many had indeed perished in the attack as what had once been a clan numbering 3500 had been reduced to 1200 which still gave them more numbers than any clan in Konoha; hell more than any three clans put together if she was truthful.<p>

She had truly missed Uzu and despite the fact that they were supposed to be a shinobi village it was still a peaceful village. At the moment she was sitting within a small room which she remembered as her own from her childhood holding her son who had dozed off in her arms.

"You look just like your mother." Said Kentaro lowly.

Hearing his voice Kushina looked up to find him leaning against the doorframe. For a moment it took her back to her time as a child when he would look upon her the same way.

"We'll be having dinner in the great hall tonight to celebrate Naruto-kun's birth." Said Kentaro after a moment.

"It's still surreal tou-san. I had been afraid for him, that he'd know nothing of our clan and so many survived all this time." Said Kushina with tears falling down her face.

"It surprised me as well that so many had made it out alive. We had all run in different directions trying to put as much distance between us and those villages as possible. I didn't learn until I found the contract and was informed . I had the summons contact every Uzumaki they could feel and have them make their way back here. It was because of this that I was made clan head." Explained Kentaro.

"Why was I not contacted then?" questioned his daughter with a frown.

"Because I had already known you were perfectly fine so I wanted to surprise you." Explained Kentaro.

Kushina wasn't really surprised to hear this coming from him. Even as a kid her father would always have a surprise for her and no matter what it was she would always love it. The dinner went off in a spectacular fashion. Not only was the meal fantastic but Kushina found that she wasn't the only new mother in the building, there were at least fifty babies in the room aside from Naruto.

She only barely remembered many of them from her time before she left for Konoha but many of those present knew of her and complimented her on her accomplishments as a kunoichi. Overall it was a very good experience and she honestly couldn't wait to get to know the members of the clan better.


	2. Chapter 2

Chronicles of Dragon Ninja

Chapter 2

It was the sound of a laughing child that awoke him. Blinking open bleary eyes he smiled at the sight of the laughing blond boy who was currently trapped in the clutches of his redheaded mother who was tickling him mercilessly. Four years had passed since the night of his son's birth and for Namikaze Minato it had been quite the busy time. In the aftermath of what was now termed as the Kyubi attack, which sounded better than the 'masked man attack', he'd had to deal with not only the rebuilding of the center of the village but with the probing attacks from the other four great villages.

Naruto generally spent his days in Uzushio with his grandfather while he and Kushina worked. At first Kushina had been content to stay home with Naruto but after a secretary had tried to seduce him and another tried to kill him she'd taken the job herself. In that time he'd also had to restructure the council after he caught them trying to reach into the cookie jar. The Sannin Orochimaru had also gone rogue and managed to escape which had also been a blow to the village. Then there were the problems he'd been having with the Uchiha Clan since the Kyubi attack.

He'd spoken at length just after the attack and the man honestly had no clue about any time/space techniques. It really helped that the two of them had been friends in their youths. In truth they'd been rivals and it had turned into a loose friendship somewhere along the way. His thoughts however were cut off as he caught the blond missile that had launched at him as soon as he realized he was up. He had to admit Kentaro had been correct as Naruto was highly energetic and apparently Kushina had been the same way.

"So what do you want for breakfast today?" questioned Minato as he finished playing around with his son.

"Ramen!" exclaimed the chibi with no hesitation and Minato laughed hearing that his son had developed a taste for his own favorite food.

"As much as I'd love to have that for breakfast we have to save that for later. So how about pancakes?" returned the man.

"Kaa-san pancakes!" exclaimed the boy.

"Okay sochi I'll make your pancakes you go wash up now, and you go with him you big goof." Said Kushina causing the boy to cheer and race out of the room with his chuckling father following after him.

* * *

><p>Nearly two hours later found the Yondaime Hokage seated calmly within his father in laws office. The family of three had arrived by way of Hiraishin no jutsu not long ago and Kushina had taken their son off to make their daily greetings.<p>

"I think we should start his ninja training." Said Minato causing the elder man to raise an eyebrow.

"Originally I wanted to wait a bit longer but his chakra pool is growing quickly. He already has more chakra than a first year academy student." Explained Minato.

"I noticed that as well. Chakra control will be a crucial focus for him so it's best we start now while he still has a chance of learning before his reserves grow too large. I'll place him with the younglings we have starting basic training today." Said Kentaro

"I wish I can take a more hands on approach to his training but I'm trying to stave off a war with Kumo at the moment." Said Minato with a sigh.

"I have people in place there. I'll see what intel we can dig up to help you out."

"I appreciate it, how are things going here?"

"Pretty good all things considered. I'll be sending a small family to live in Konoha next year from the Muramasa clan. The daughter will be joining your shinobi program; she is a year older than Naruto." Said Kentaro

"Very well as you know the people of Uzu are always welcomed in Konoha." Said Minato

"How Rin doing?" questioned Minato after a few quiet moments.

"Very well actually, the girl's a godsend. I haven't seen a medic of her level since Tsunade but even more important the children love her." Said Kentaro with a smile.

"Good. Hopefully this will pull her out of her funk." Said Minato with a sigh.

The conversation between the two leaders lasted only a bit longer before they brought it to a close. Not long later found the Uzumaki head escorting his young grandson through the village after the departure of the boy's parents which as always amazed the impressionable four year old.

"So Naru how would you like it if we started your ninja training today?" questioned the man.

"Really! You mean it!" exclaimed the youth excitement and hope dancing within his eyes.

"Hai. Your parents and I agree that it would be a good idea. Now it's going to take a lot of hard work but you're an Uzumaki you can handle that right?" said Kentaro with a grin.

"Hai jiji." Answered the blond with a matching grin.

It did not take them long to reach their destination which was a small training ground not far from the village proper. Unlike Konoha or any other major village Uzushio did not have a true academy just a selection of people willing to teach the young ones. As they arrived Kentaro spotted fifteen children some he knew to be Uzumaki already there along with the instructors.

Naruto made a beeline to a pair of girls that were his cousins while Kentaro went to speak with the instructors for a moment before leaving. The instructors waited a few more minutes for any last arrivals before they began.

"Alright everyone quiet down."

The speaker was a female at about 18 years of age. She had short dark brown hair and brown eyes with two purple rectangle like markings on each side of her face. She stood at about 5'4" and wore an outfit that consisted of a black shirt and a pair of dark purple pants with a Konoha hitae-tae upon her forehead.

"Alright for those of you who are new and don't know me I am Rin. You will call me either Rin-sensei or just sensei. I will be in charge of your chakra control training and your world history." Stated the woman.

"I suppose it's my turn then." Said the other instructor.

This one was male and appeared to be a giant to the children standing at about 6 feet even in height. He was muscular more so than Naruto had ever seen and he'd seen many ninja before this man. He had white hair which hung to his shoulders and a strange tattoo on his bicep along with a scar under his right eye. His outfit consisted of a white gi top, grey pants, tabi sandals, red arm bands, and an Uzu hitae-tae upon his forehead.

"My name is Murai. I will be instructing you in basic taijutsu and fitness for the most part along with the history of Uzu no Kuni." Said the man his voice a deep baritone.

"Now that the introductions are out of the way let's start with five laps around the clearing." Said Murai.

* * *

><p>Kushina fidgeted a bit as she sat within the small room. Before her was her doctor and old friend Hyuga Hikari who was currently looking over a paper attached to a clipboard. Hikari stood at about 5'6 and had long blue hair that hung down her back with bangs framing her lavender eyes. At the moment she wore a pair of light green hospital scrubs and a white lab coat.<p>

"Well it's as I thought." Said Hikari causing the Hokage's wife to tense an action that did not go unnoticed.

"Congratulations your pregnant" said Hikari with a beaming smile.

"Again!" exclaimed Kushina causing Hikari to laugh.

"Your about two months along from what I see." Said Hikari

"Aw man I'll never go back on active duty at this rate." Pouted Kushina though she was smiling letting her friend know she was joking.

"Like you were ever going back in the first place. Not only are you the Hokage's wife but our village premier seals mistress surpassing even your husband; your too valuable for the village to risk out there." Said Hikari

"Do you ever miss it?" questioned Kushina

"Of course I do. You know how much I loved travelling and getting to see new places. But I love Hinata far more and with the new one on the way I know my place is here in the village." Said Hikari.

"New one huh?" questioned Kushina with a grin.

"Yup I just found out. I haven't let Hiashi know yet though." Returned Hikari.

"Look at us two of Konoha's most powerful kunoichi turned into a pair of old married broads." Said Kushina with a laugh.

"Let's not forget we're about to be fat again." Said Hikari.

* * *

><p>Minato frowned as he looked out over the village from his office window. At the moment he had a Kage Bunshin sitting in the desk handling the paperwork a trick he'd come up with when Naruto was still running around in diapers. Behind him he could hear Sarutobi hum thoughtfully for what had to be at least the fifth time. He usually liked to handle matters his own way but in certain times he could count on the man to provide valuable knowledge.<p>

"This is indeed interesting. What do you think?" finally spoke the older man.

"I think it's a trick." Said Minato without the slightest bit of hesitation.

"Despite the small scale skirmishes we haven't dealt them any blows that would warrant this type of action." explained Minato.

"Even still this can't just be ignored. We haven't yet fully recovered from the last great war and the Kyubi attack to get into another war." said Hiruzen.

"I'll let sensei know about this; see if he can dig anything up." Said Minato with a sigh.

"And if things are on the level?" questioned Hiruzen.

"I doubt they are but if so we'll handle things here. There is no way I would go there." Said Minato.

"Good call. We lost Tobirama-sensei that way."

As he said this Hiruzen moved to look out over the village with his successor. Left in his place was an open scroll questioning the possibility of peace between Konoha and Kumo.

* * *

><p>After four hours the young initiates were dismissed and Naruto soon found himself seated within his grandfather's office. He had just finished a feast great enough for two children, provided they were not Akimichi, much to his grandfather's amusement. Picking the boy up Kentaro moved over to a small couch to sit before placing the boy down on his lap.<p>

"Ok Naruto-kun tell me what do you know about our clan." Said Kentaro.

"Well our clan is one of the oldest around. We possess a special kind of chakra that makes jutsu's more powerful and slows down our aging." Said Naruto

"Well you have the basic idea. I think your old enough to know more about our clan don't you?" questioned the man causing the boy to nod enthusiastically.

"Alright then the Uzumaki clan truly is among the oldest clans around and pre-date's even the Rikudo Sennin. Do you know who he is?"

"He's the first chakra user." Answered Naruto.

"Right again. Anyway our clan was born during the Age of the Dragon. You see during the early eons of our world the planet was engulfed in a battle for control fought between deities. Among these deities arose the ancient Fiends a race of monsters, composed of demons, living monsters and even the undead. Under the command of their Supreme God Vigoor these evil creatures waged destructive wars against the deities of sentiment, wisdom, and creation nearly to the point where they had conquered everything.

In a last ditch effort, Serpent: Deity of Creation, planted the seeds of life. The seeds survived and matured in the chaos, and overtime would evolve into the 13 Dragon Gods. After ages, the fully matured Dragon Gods waged wars against the Fiends viciously, eventually defeating and banishing the Fiends from the earth. In peaceful times, the first humans appeared, it was at around this time, the 13th Dragon betrayed his brethren for power in a conspiracy with the Fiends, becoming a powerful God of Destruction known as the Dark Dragon, as he siphoned the life out his siblings.

Suddenly the Fiends returned and with their full combined might defeated the 12 Dragon Gods in the ensuing conflict. In the chaos and confusion of the rekindled age of conflict, the Fiends mixed their blood with the early human tribes, while the dying Dragon Gods placed their remaining essence and spirit in the surviving Dragon Fang & Jewel, and then later in the blood of the human warrior that would find these relics. This gave rise to what would be known as the Dragon Lineage, our ancestors and future mortal enemy of the fiends.

Eventually the Dark Dragon was slain, the Fiends fell and were sealed away by the ancestors of the Dragon Lineage. But in the age of peace, the Fiends lived on in their realm and in the blood of every human descended from the early times when Fiends mixed their blood with the ancient human tribes. Even today those with the blood of the Fiends live on, as this is the origin of Kekki Genkai.

"So all bloodlines come from demons like Kyubi?" questioned Naruto.

"Nearly all of them do. However ours is different as the Fiends were not the only ones to mix their blood with that of humans. Indeed the Dragons did so as well; eventually giving rise to our clan known as both the Hayabusa and Uzumaki clan over time. Whatever the case we are still Dragon Ninja, because we carry the blood of the Dragon Gods within us we are blessed with superior strength, speed, and agility, however it is only now in the age of chakra that we have gained prolonged life spans thanks to the potency of our chakra." Answered Kentaro.

"In truth this is why Uzu was attacked and why our clan suffered such heavy losses. Without us there would not be many that could combat the Fiends. That is why the secret for sealing the bijuu was given away to the villages."

"So there are more people like me?" questioned Naruto.

"Hai at the moment there are eight others. None however are treated as well as you are by their villages. Regardless of their reasons the Bijuu are incredibly powerful and the treatment of their vessels is in no way justifiable. I fear were it not for your parents you'd be treated the same as the others. Now enough of this let us get back to the subject" Said Kentaro.

"You see while we specialize in Fuinjutsu we are unlike any other clan. As it was then it is today in that we focus on the true heart of a ninja. As a member of this clan so to shall you."

As Kentaro said this he pulled a box up from its position beside the couch and placed it so that it was resting on his right. With a single motion of his grandfather's head Naruto dived for it and tore it open. What he found inside however was something he was not expecting as inside was what he could see as purple cloth. Pulling it out he discovered it was actually clothing consisting of a pair of pants and shirt with hood, tabi shoes, and a scarf.

"Jiji?" questioned Naruto upon seeing the outfit.

"That Naruto-kun is the training attire of our clan. Today was just a warm up you will begin your true training tomorrow. While you will begin Konoha's academy at age seven your training here will be nothing like there. Konoha's academy is mostly book work, for four hour days. Here you will be doing the real work for a lot longer. Even when you begin there you will return here for further training, understood." Said Kentaro his tone serious.

"Hai jiji." Said Naruto.

* * *

><p>That night as he prepared for sleep after a very fulfilling dinner Naruto sighed in contentment. He had a very productive day and from what his mother had explained to him and his father during dinner it had been nothing compared to what was ahead for him. Kushina tucked her son into bed and rubbed his hair away from his eyes as her husband watched from the other side of the bed with a smile.<p>

"Ne Naru-chan, would you like it if you had a little brother or sister?" questioned Kushina quietly.

"Hai, I always wanted one." Said Naruto with a grin.

"I see I guess you can have one then." Said the mother with a smile.

"Really!" exclaimed Naruto with wide eyes as he sat up in excitement.

"Hai, but you have to promise to protect them. This means you have to train really hard, can you do that?" asked the redhead.

"Hai kaa-san." Promised the boy.

"Okay then, get some rest sochi you have a big day ahead." Said Kushina before kissing the boy atop his forehead.

"A little brother or sister huh?" said Minato after he closed the door which glowed shortly thanks to the now activated seal.

"Hai I just found out this morning when I went for my physical." Answered the woman.

"Well I'm looking forward to our new addition love." Said Minato before he pulled his wife into a kiss.

The next morning found Naruto once again in the field with the other initiates. He saw that like him all of them were clad in the purple outfit using the scarf as a mask so that only their eyes were visible.

'_Man this mask is itchy, how does Kakashi-oji do it_?' wondered the boy as he adjusted the cloth over his face.

It didn't take long for everyone to arrive and he noticed that Rin was dressed differently as well as she now wore the standard Konoha uniform as well. Once they were all gathered however they were led even further away by the two adults. For a while they walked through the forest until they came across a woman who stood in their path. The woman appeared to be in her thirties and wore a purple and black kimono and had soft brown eyes while her long brown hair was held in a tail the top of it however was held by a white bandanna.

"Greetings all of you. I am Chiyoko, caretaker to the children of Uzushio. While you are with me you all will begin taking the steps towards the rest of your life, I hope you are prepared."

With that said the woman turned and began to lead them through the forest once more. Finally they came across a body of water that stood before a waterfall. Without slowing in her stride Chiyoko walked calmly across the water and it wasn't until they were urged to follow that Naruto realized that there was actually a wooden platform for them to walk on though they could do nothing about the water that splashed on them when they walked through the waterfall.

For several more minutes they walked through a dark cavern lit only by torches lining the walls before they came across an entirely new area. From his place in the front of the group Naruto looked upon it as a miniature village and he could see many purple uniforms like his own below them.

"Welcome to the training center." Said Chiyoko turning to the children.

"Here you will train for the various futures you want for yourselves. It is only here however you will be allowed to remove your masks. Your masks serve several purposes, firstly they cover your expressions, making it harder to read your emotions. Second they safeguard your identities from your enemies and finally thanks to the seals embedded within them they filter out poisons, making them useless against you. When you are good enough to control your emotions and strong enough to protect yourselves you will be allowed to remove your masks outside of these walls." Explained Chiyoko.

"Now for those of you who are orphaned you have the option to live here if you wish it. Also for those who wish to take up archery please come and see me as that is what I teach. Regardless I expect great things from all of you." With that said Chiyoko surprised all of them by vanishing in a blast of smoke.

The Training Center was a huge place Naruto realized as he walked through it. He'd seen forges were people were learning to craft weapons, he'd seen a few obstacle courses, a range for target practice and more while he looked around. At the moment he was on his way to where the library resided, unlike several others he didn't have a specific thing he wanted to do, he just wanted to be a ninja. Murai had pointed him towards the library so that he could determine exactly what path he wished to take.

He knew his mother was a seal mistress and his father despite his ninjutsu knowledge was also a seals specialist. While he would learn that himself he didn't want to stick with just that. Despite the fame of holding the Kyubi he was still within his parents shadow in both Konoha and Uzushio. While it was nice, he couldn't become Hokage that way and Hokage was his goal. As he entered the library he took note of the fact that it was quiet and decided to keep the trend. He'd never been to a real library, his mother had taught him to read in his father's library and she had played music throughout the process.

It didn't taken him long to find what he was looking for either. After speaking with the person at the front desk for a few minutes he was given a scroll and told to look through it. Finding an empty desk he took the opportunity to finally remove the mask and place it on the table before taking a seat and opening the scroll titled Ninja 101 by Jiraiya.

_So you want to be a ninja or just know more about us huh? Well the truth is ninja come in various types with various skill sets. Most believe that a ninja is merely a person with a fancy jutsu but this isn't the case. In truth there exist several types to choose from. For starters there is your general who make up the bulk of most ninja forces, these guys sadly will never really amount to anything. Now here are the categories to choose from._

_First there are the tracker types. These are the people who focus on tracking others through their senses. A more advanced tracker is called a sensor as they have the ability to detect and track people just by their chakra. Many sensors end up becoming Hunter-nin due to this ability._

_Next we have Iryo-nin. These are ninja who specialize in the art of using chakra to heal. I don't know much about that field myself, but I do know quite the legendary medic. What I do know is that for this path chakra control is a critical part of your development._

_Next we have those who specialize in the obscure art of Fuinjutsu. Fuinjutsu is perhaps the most powerful branch of the ninja because just about anything can be done with a seal. However this isn't a path for an idiot and even some genius find learning this to be like reading a foreign language. There also exist the rare combat fuinjutsu users who can create seals during combat. For this path however mastering calligraphy comes first and foremost._

_Finally we have the most well-known of shinobi the combat ninja. Combat ninja can be divided in several fields. Firstly there is taijutsu specialist, those who focus their energy on hand to hand combat. There are genjutsu specialist, those who focus on the intricate art of illusions, and ninjutsu specialist like myself whom everyone seems to think of when they think of shinobi. For both ninjutsu and genjutsu chakra control is also a high priority._

_Furthermore there exist other combat types such as weapon masters and mistresses. These are people who take the time to master the art of wielding more than just the common kunai and shuriken. Well now that you know that you can now choose your own path or which type of ninja you want to hire, from Konoha, hopefully._

Naruto sweat dropped as he finished reading the last bit. He knew Jiraiya as both his father's teacher and his godfather even if he had no memory of meeting the man. However he knew his wallet Gama-chan had been a gift from the man so he held nothing against him. Regardless of the shameless plug at the end however he now had an idea of where he wanted to go. Rolling up the scroll and handing it back to the desk worker he made his way out of the library, his mask hanging around his neck now.

Finding Murai hadn't been difficult for him as the man had told him where he could find him. As he entered the place he found it to be a dojo with various purple garbed individuals going through kata's. Murai himself was seated off to the side while another adult walked around correcting mistakes.

"Naruto-san back already?" questioned Murai in surprise.

"I know what I want to do." Said the blond seriously, or as serious as a four year old could be taken.

"What have you come up with?" questioned the white haired man curiously.

"I want to be a combat ninja with focuses on ninjutsu, taijutsu and weapons. I also want to learn fuinjutsu and tracking." Said Naruto causing Murai to raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"What kind of weapon?" questioned Murai after a moment.

"Multiple including a sword and staff, and the archery looked useful when I walked passed it." Answered the blond.

"That's quite the load you'll be taking on." Said Murai.

"Sealing runs in the family so I want to learn it. However I'd rather be a combat ninja and everything else would help with that it seems." Answered the blond with determination shining in his eyes.

"Alright I'll prepare a few scrolls for you to look over with your parents. For now go and join Chiyoko's archery students.

Not long later Naruto found himself within Chiyoko's introductory class. He like the others had been given a bow and a case of fifteen arrows. In the distance were several straw targets however what was more noticeable was that he was the youngest and one of the few boys present.

"Alright everyone now that you are all equipped let's get started. Archery is an art in and of itself. This is the skill of a hunter, as such with me you will learn not just how to shoot, but how to sight, track, and aim correctly which will help in developing patience for you."

Following this Chiyoko showed them all how to stand, hold the bow, load the arrow, and aim at the targets. Naruto followed her lead and stood with his left foot forward, his feet shoulder width apart, with his right leg behind him, this in effect turned his left side towards the target. It took him a few tries to nock the arrow correctly.

Following this she showed two ways in which to aim with either split-finger or three under. For the split-finger the index finger was above the nocked arrow with the middle and ring fingers below. He however chose the three-under method which placed all three under the arrow which gave him a better look than the other way. Finally she gave them the go ahead and they let their arrows fly. Many of them didn't even make it to the targets; Naruto was one of five that did though hitting the left edge of the target.

For several hours he continued to practice even long after the others had already gone. For a while Chiyoko simply watched noting the improvement slight as it was before she called him to halt. As he approached and moved to hand her the bow she was surprised to see a slight bit of blood staining the string. Taking the bow and cleaning the string she presented it back to the boy surprising him.

"Take that as a present for your hard work. I've only had one other person do what you did today and stay longer than the others and that happened months ago. You've earned that bow in my eyes, just keep practicing okay." Said Chiyoko with a smile.

"Hai, thank you sensei." Returned the blond with a smile.

That said Chiyoko showed him how to carry it on his back and with a smile sent him on his way. As he left the archery area he was met by Murai who was once more surprised by seeing him actually leaving with a bow. Shaking it off the man handed him a backpack full of scrolls and told him to return with his decisions in the morning. As he made his way back towards the initiates heading out he was surprised to be met by his mother who was wearing a red version of his current outfit her mask down around her neck. Walking up he was surprised to see her surrounded by a bunch of girls in the training clothes and simply stood back to watch.

"O wow I can't believe she's really here." Said a quiet voice in awe from beside him.

Turning towards the voice he found himself looking at a girl who was just about his same height with brown hair pulled into a ponytail. She of course wore the same training uniform as he did as well.

"Why are all of them surrounding her?" questioned the blond.

"You don't know who she is? That's Uzumaki Kushina, 'The Red Death' she's the greatest kunoichi to come out of Uzu in a hundred years." Explained the girl.

"Would you like to meet her?" questioned Naruto with a smile.

"Not like that will happen, not with that crowd." Answered the girl with a frown.

"C'mon."

With that Naruto grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the mob as they neared the girls eyes widened as the woman moved passed the girls towards them.

"Who's this Naru?" questioned the woman as she bent to his height for a hug.

"Oh someone who wanted to meet you kaa-san." Explained the blond.

"She's your mom!" exclaimed the girl in shock.

"Yup, I didn't know she was really famous though." Answered Naruto sheepishly.

"So what's your name young one?" questioned Kushina with a small smile.

"Tenten, Muramasa Tenten." Answered the girl quickly.

"Well Tenten-chan it's a pleasure to meet you. Are you here to learn forging?" questioned Kushina.

"No my grandpa teaches me that. I'm learning to be a weapons specialist." Answered Tenten.

"Really, that's one of the things I picked." Said Naruto in surprise.

"Well maybe we can train together then." Said Tenten happily.

Kushina simply smiled as the two children began speaking in exited tones about future training together. Finally however she had to break it up as the two had to leave with Naruto waving a cheerful goodbye to his new friend.

"So I take it you had a good day." Said Kushina as she led him out.

"Hai, Chiyoko-sensei even let me have the bow." Said Naruto.

"You know that means she expects you to practice a lot with it right?" questioned Kushina.

"Hai kaa-san I will." Answered the boy.

As the duo left neither would be aware of the significance this meeting had held for the young girl they'd met, who instead of returning home went back to the training field.

AN: That's it. Chapters done. I'm still just getting things started but next chapter will be a time skip once more. Now I have a final I should have been studying for a long time ago instead of writing this so I'm gone for now. That said thanks for reading and please leave reviews. Till next time LATER.


	3. Chapter 3

Chronicles of the Dragon Ninja

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Ninja Gaiden, if I did this would be a manga with lots of movies following.

AN: I'm back with yet another chapter. I was actually going to wait and focus on other stories but this one is flowing right now. Anyway for those of you who don't know the BLEACH movie Hell Chapter has finally come out with english subs and its pretty good.

Start Now:

Namikaze Minato sighed as he looked down on the village from the top of the Hokage Monument. In his arms he held a small boy who was none other than his two year old son Kenshin. Kenshin had inherited the bright red hair of the Uzumaki clan along with his own blue eyes complete with shaping. Like Naruto he also possessed the three whisker-like markings on each of his cheeks which had slightly surprised the couple.

It had been three years since his eldest son Naruto had begun his ninja training with his mother's clan. In that time he felt he had managed to accomplish a lot as things had definitely improved over that time for the village. The near war with Kumo had been brought to a close thankfully before too much blood could be shed. They had gone to sign a treaty inviting the Kumo-nin to Konoha only to be betrayed as the ambassador had tried kidnapping the heiress of the Hyuga Clan the same night. However having been expecting something foul they'd caught him in the act and the little girl had been and still was clueless about the entire event.

The Yondaime Raikage had tried to bluff a war over the man's return but he'd returned the threat with one of his own. The presence of the Sandaime Hokage, his sensei Jiraiya and his old teammate Tsunade had been more than enough for the emotional Raikage to not try to push his luck and the ambassador was executed. More than that for his dishonesty and attempt to use a treaty signing for a foul purpose the Fire Daimyo had been able to coax out quite the hefty financial sum as well as a number of high level lightning techniques which were quite rare in Konoha.

Unfortunately he still had a few problems to handle and hadn't had much time for Naruto due to that. In all honesty Minato wanted to do more with his son, but his obligations as Hokage were becoming more time consuming than ever. Naruto always told him he understood but as an orphan himself Minato had always told himself that he would be involved in his children's lives. That isn't to say he wasn't involved but he had wanted to be the one to teach the boy how to hold a kunai and all of that. Naruto would always come to him for advice though with things he was working on but having trouble with. However the progress report he had received that morning had only made him wish to do more. Fishing it out he couldn't help but read it over once more.

_Minato-san your son is growing up well. As the guardian of the children of Uzushio I strive to treat all the children with equal love and care but Naruto-kun I hold a special place for. Naruto-kun is our best student, not because things come easily but because of his work ethic. He is quite possibly the hardest worker that we have. He spends hours working on his own long after everyone else has gone on a regular basis. _

_He strives hard so that you will be proud of him. I think as Hokage your recognition is most important to him. According to Rin-san he seems to do his best to emulate you. More than that he is kind always going out of his way to help others and thinking nothing of himself; this along with his outgoing personality have gained him many friends here, who now look to him as an example. However I think the greatest driving force behind him is his desire to protect both his friends and family especially his brother. _

_Because of this he is growing by leaps and bounds. In just the three years he has been with us he has already broken records. I can no longer teach him anything in regards to archery, according to his other instructors they are fast running out of things they can safely teach him. He has already mastered the use of the nunchaku, tonfa, and staff. His weapons instructor has now given him a bokken to work with. Murai has also told me that his taijutsu is also progressing swiftly and considering he chose the hardest style we have to work with that is saying a lot. _

_In an effort to keep him from becoming arrogant none of us have told him of just how great his achievements are. As far as ninjutsu he hasn't approached for more outside of the basic three that he'd need to know for your academy. Regrettably we have found that his reserves are just too large for the regular Bunshin no jutsu, despite his control. As such we have taught him both the Mizu and Tsuchi Bunshin jutsu's to compensate. _

_His calligraphy has also finally gotten to a point that the instructor feels he can safely learn the most basic of fuinjutsu. He has already had several idea's which I will seal within this scroll for you. His tracking skills are also improving rapidly, we have discovered that his senses have been enhanced whether this is natural for him or a gift from Kyubi has yet to be determined. We have also learned that the whisker markings on his face allow him to determine slight shifts in the wind much like an animal. _

_All in all his training with us is already near complete. I should also inform you that he is a more hands on learner so your academy may bore him. However I think it is needed as he sorely needs to learn the concept of teamwork. While he is aware that it is important it isn't something we train our students in._

_Best regards and well wishes,_

_Chiyoko._

Rolling the scroll back up and placing it back in his supply pouch he took his son from the clone he'd summoned which allowed it to disperse in a plume of smoke. He was honestly extremely proud of his eldest son and all the work he'd been doing over the last few years. However today Naruto would be starting Konoha's academy and would be there for the next five years. Of course he knew he could have the boy tested now and he'd most likely pass but he wanted the boy to have time to be a kid and make friends.

"You'd rather your brother be here in the village than out on missions too right Kenshin?" questioned the man.

"Yay." Said the boy with a laugh getting a smile from Minato.

* * *

><p>Naruto panted his form covered in sweat as he held his tonfa in a defensive position. The black wooden weapons had been a gift from Tenten's grandfather for his sixth birthday. Until then he'd been practicing with the ones in Uzushio, now he used his own when at home to further his practice. He had changed very little over the years other than the obvious height difference now standing at nearly four feet in height. His hair he'd had styled similar to his father's only it wasn't as long and his spikes were smaller so that there were more of them. At the moment he wore a simple pair of black pants and a white undershirt.<p>

At the moment the tonfa were his favorite weapon, they were quick and brutal and put him right where he wanted to be, up close and personal. His most prized weapon however was the Strong Bow; he'd won the weapon in an archery contest held by Chiyoko against his seniors thus proving his skill with the craft. It was a composite bow and serious upgrade from the regular bow in that it had a significant increase in power. Unlike a regular short bow it was not only smaller but the material that made it up allowed more stress meaning more power when fired.

"Naruto go wash up breakfast will be ready in a bit!"

Almost immediately the spinning of the heavy wooden weapons came to a halt as the blond registered his mother's words. Since he'd only been shadow sparring he stood right outside of the kitchen window and had easily heard her call. Fifteen minutes later he was seated within his seat at the table scarfing down a triple stack of pancakes, hash browns, sausage lings and bacon much to the satisfaction of his stomach. His eyes widen for a moment and he shot his hand forward only to be denied as his father snatched up the last of the biscuits.

"Good luck next time son." Said Minato with a grin at his son's pout.

Kushina giggled at the sight which was actually quite rare now. Since he'd begun his training those few short years ago she hardly ever saw such an expression from him. Her giggling only increased as her youngest tried to copy the expression which in her mind was just far too cute. Nearly an hour later the small family could be found walking through the streets of the village towards the Academy building slowly each enjoying the walk for what it was.

They were greeted warmly by the people with the young blond being greeted as 'Naruto-sama' as opposed to 'Honorable Son'. Naruto had heard from the Sandaime Hokage's son Asuma how they had addressed him growing up until he'd been able to make a name for himself as one of the Shogonin Junishi (Twelve Guardian Ninja) who guarded the Fire Daimyo. Kenshin beamed under the attention smiling and laughing happily within his brother's arms an act which put a smile on Naruto's face. Finally however the family neared their destination with the building finally coming into sight.

The Academy was quite the large building. Initially it had been much smaller but it along with several other buildings had been destroyed during the Kyubi attack and as such his father had taken the opportunity to do a bit of remodeling. It was now a combination of three buildings combining the Ninja Academy with the administrative offices, which included the mission desk and Hokage's office, and the Jounin Standby Station. Naruto himself had only been there a handful of times as before then he'd spent most of his day training in Uzushio's training center. Seeing as he was heading to the academy portion they headed towards that entrance which was on the leftmost side. As they reached that side Naruto spotted a tree in front of the entrance with a lone swing upon it.

As they passed through the entrance Naruto took note of his surroundings like he was trained noting that there was a multitude of adults within the hall all of whom would stop what they were doing and at least acknowledge his father's presence. Many of the adults he could see were civilians which didn't surprise him at all as civilians were actually the majority of the village's population. That was fine however as after the last Great War all of the great nations were supposed to lower their forces anyway. It took a bit longer than he would've liked to reach the class he was assigned but seeing as he was with his father it was something that just couldn't be helped. As they finally did enter the room however he took a moment to look over the room to see who would be in this class. Upon doing so he immediately spotted those who he knew would pass and go on to become gennin as despite the fact that he was rarely in the village he still knew people in it.

First and foremost he noticed three distinct people, Nara, Akimichi, and a Yamanaka. While he didn't really know them all that well or their names their fathers were legends each making up a third of the Legendary Ino-Shika-Cho squad. The Nara's father he knew had just taken over as the Jounin Commander a few months prior and the Yamanaka's father once been at the head of the ANBU's T&I division, the fathers of all three were actually present engaging in quiet conversation leaning against a wall. Only a few moments later he was able to pick up the voice of one Inuzuka, the son of the Inuzuka clan head apparently. His mother Inuzuka Tsume, while a special jounin was the best tracker in the village especially when working with her ninken whose name he couldn't remember both of whom were also occupying themselves leaning on a wall.

In the back he could see someone who he actually did know quite well that being the heiress of the Hyuga clan Hyuga Hinata. He'd been invited to her fourth birthday party and had kept in touch with her ever since. Both of her parents were also in attendance and she was currently holding her little sister and playing with her quietly. The Aburame heir \ was not too far away from her, Naruto honestly didn't know a thing about him and very little about his clan but he knew that they were his biggest supporters as they like him had things living inside their bodies. His father and clan head Shibi he could see had moved and was standing silently within the upper right corner. Finally as one of the civilian born children sat down he smirked upon spotting the form of Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke was one of the few that he knew as their mothers had been close friends for a long time. Sasuke it seemed came from a family of geniuses, his father was the head of the Military Police, his mother a retired jounin, and his older brother is currently serving in ANBU.

Unfortunately he couldn't see anyone else worth noting at all, aside from one civilian raised girl and that was only due to her bright pink hair. Luckily no one was really paying attention at the moment which allowed him to quietly make his way up to sit next to the young Nara who currently had his head on the desk. He caught a wink from his father as he sat before the man vanished, using Hiraishin to appear in his office most likely. He wasn't surprised his father had already informed him that he would do so as that would put spotlight on him. Instead he would be watching from his office, how the blond had no clue in all honesty. Not long later after several more entered the room a black haired young man wearing the standard leaf nin uniform walked into the room.

"Good morning everyone." Spoke the man loudly catching the attention of the room as he stood at the podium.

"My name is Umino Iruka, you students shall refer to me as Iruka-sensei. For the next five years I shall act as the primary instructor for all of you in this room. Now first and foremost I want it known now that favoritism of any kind will not be given by me. What this means is it doesn't matter what your clan name is or who your parents are to me, I am still going to treat everyone fairly. That said anyone who tries to ever try using a clan name or parents position to influence me will be failed and kicked out of the program. This goes as well for parents if you try it I'll fail your kid. I'm a firm believer that earning is better than being given or handed things. Our classes are only six hours a day, from 0800 to 1400 hours, for those who don't know what that means it means 8:00 am to 2 pm. "

At this point Iruka paused allowing both the students and the parents to digest what he had just said. He knew that the academy used to last longer but under the Yondaime's direction they had cut many of the classes most of which had been entirely unnecessary for budding shinobi. That isn't to say that all of them had been cut as the mathematics, science, and geography classes had been kept. However what they had increased were the more hands on classes.

"Now I don't know what you've been led to believe but we focus much more on the practical aspects of the shinobi than we once had. That isn't to say we don't do theory but we have evened things out a bit. That means if you expect to pass at the top of this class with just bookwork than think again. If you pass theory but fail at practical you'll probably wind up somewhere in the middle if not the bottom of the class. Of course this also applies the other way around, meaning if you excel at physical yet flop at mental the results will be the same. This is because we found a high mortality rate among gennin with the old way we did things. It was determined that a gennin was useless if they only held themselves to the extreme of one field, this balance we have found has increased that mortality rating. Kushina-sama, the floor is yours." Finished Iruka surprising Naruto as he stepped away from the podium and his mother took his place.

"Good morning everyone. As the one who initialized the changes to the Academy I like to speak at the induction of each class. The changes to happen are composed of ideas from not only myself but the matriarchs of both the Hyuga and Uchiha clans as well as our Hokage and even Tsunade-sama. It is our hope that we now have courses that cater to all types of shinobi and not just the generic combat type. While many of the original theory classes have been scraped we now have classes such as Intro to medicine, from which we have found many astounding medics that otherwise would have slipped through the cracks. I'd also like everyone to know we don't just focus on the ninja clan children there is a chance for everyone. However all of you must work hard though many of the more practical classes were actually made for the civilian raised children an idea from both Jiraiya-sama, who grew up an orphan, and our Hokage whose mother was a civilian. That said parents please don't complain if your children are actually working as it is for their benefit. However if you feel you have a reasonable issue please see the new headmistress Uchiha Mikoto. That said I wish you all the best of luck."

With that Kushina bowed politely and with a wink to her son headed out of the room. Taking that as their queue all of the parents headed out of the room. Kushina however didn't go far in fact she had waited in the hall and for good reason as both the Hyuga and Uchiha clan heads quickly approached her. However neither spoke waiting for the remaining individuals to clear the hallway. Once the hallway cleared and they moved to speak Kushina beat them to it quite quickly.

"I know you to have questions but they should be answered by your wives. However due be sure to make it to the council meeting at 1000."

The two men nodded grudgingly and Kushina smiled before leaving talking quietly with her youngest. Seeing this the Hyuga head sighed as he moved his own youngest to a more comfortable position. Despite this he still managed to somehow keep his rather blank facial expression. It seemed even with his daughter in hand he couldn't afford to show an ounce of un-Hyuga-like behavior. The Uchiha head had no such problem and scowled as he stalked towards the door. He'd known his wife and the Hokage's had been friends and had honestly thought that friendship had come to an end sometime ago, it appears that assumption had been incorrect.

* * *

><p>Nearly two hours later found the members of the council all gathered within their chambers within the administrative portion of the building. Unlike the last building the new one had them all seated at a round table taking away the old arched setup which the council had used to determine the importance of its members. Of course this had done nothing to bring a halt to the scheming of the council members especially the civilian members but it was a start. Minato as the Hokage was the last to enter and took his seat which allowed him to face the door. As he took his seat he took a moment to overlook everyone who had gathered within the room. The council was a rather large body when assembled in full consisting of the heads of the noble clans of the village at this point being the Hyuga, Akimichi, and Uchiha, the Hokage's three advisors, and the heads of the more notable ninja clans along with five civilian members.<p>

"I'm glad to see everyone is on time this morning especially as you were informed on such short notice." Said Minato bringing the meeting to order.

"I have been in talks with the Daimyo for some time and with his consent I am now going to be implementing a few changes. As all of you are aware the last time I did this I added the civilian presence to this council." Stated Minato causing several of them to mutter.

"Tell me Akimichi-san, what is the purpose of this council?" questioned Minato.

"The council is to act as an advisory body to the Hokage. The Hokage must discuss things with the full general council before he can act. In times of war however the council has no power, yet in times of peace the council acts as a check to the Hokage to ensure he does not misuse his power, causing harm to Konoha or its people." Said the Akimichi head Chouza.

"Thank you, Uchiha-san what is the purpose of the advisory council?" questioned Minato.

"They are the leaders of the general council. As the full council cannot be called at all times the advisory council acts as its representatives. They are to advise the Hokage and can if all together override the Hokage's decisions if they feel they are not acting towards the benefit of the village." Said the Uchiha head getting a nod.

"Good, now Hyuga-san tell me what checks the power of the advisory council."

At this question the Hokage's advisors narrowed their eyes while the Hyuga head took on a thoughtful expression, or as much of one as he'd allow himself. Minato himself was leaning back in his seat projecting an aura of nonchalance as he had been the entire time. Nara Shikaku however had actually straightened out in his seat showing interest in the subject at hand while many others were simply curious about where this conversation was going.

"The Hokage can check their actions individually however together they can only be checked by the full council. If you consider their influence over the council however…" said the Hyuga head trailing off causing Minato to smirk.

"Exactly. As you have concluded there is nothing that checks the power of the advisory council." Said Minato causing everyone to stiffen.

"It is for this reason, that as of this moment, the advisory council is to be dissolved." Stated Minato.

"You can't do that!" exclaimed Koharu in shock and anger.

"Oh but I can as I've been given the Daimyo's blessing whose power supersedes your own. I just need to know if this council agrees."

At this point he reached down and pulled up a stack of papers for which he proceeded to make a clone to pass them out. As they were passed out the members of the council could see that the packets of paper were actually a bit thick, which was a surprise. In the time that he'd been Hokage he'd never gone to such lengths for an explanation as while there was paperwork it was usually very little to actually be read.

"This is actually quite brilliant." Said Shikaku after a few moments of looking through it.

At that everyone actually starting reading the stacks of paper in earnest and paying full attention to detail. Many of them were actually impressed as the new system would work as an excellent check to the power of the Hokage yet at the same time would check the power of the Hokage's advisors. The way that it would set up was that there would be a selection of individuals that would act as the advisors for a period not extending five years and would have to wait at least ten before they tried for the position again. In this way there would not be a consolidation of power nor a chance for corruption, the only ones who would be holding their positions would be the ANBU general and the commander of the Oinin for as long as they held the post.

"I actually agree with the Nara, this is actually pretty good." Said the Uchiha head.

For an hour Minato simply sat and waited while they read over the information before them. Of course he had also had a few things to occupy his time, he had no doubt that they would agree with his proposal, well almost all of them would. Aside from the two positions previously mentioned there would be another three, one civilian position, one noble, and one other. The first time through the Hokage would chose who would take the first two positions himself and the last would be up to a vote, but it would have to be an active shinobi. Yes he knew it would go through but yet and still he gave them enough time where everyone could read through it until the end.

"Now then shall we put it to a vote." Said Minato, acting quickly before the three could make a power play to negate what he'd done.

"All who agree, please raise your hand."

Immediately almost every hand was up a clear majority vote. Even still he indulged them and only five hands were raised against the motion. Minato wanted to laugh he really did but he was still in front of the council, still who would have thought that his seven year old son would spark the idea that had been what would remove the thorn in his side since his inception as Hokage. Really all it had taken was a child's innocent question to get the ball rolling on this.

"Well then the motion has passed. I will be informing the ANBU and Oinin generals as well as the civilian representative that I chose within the week. As for the noble position I have chosen Uchiha Fugaku to act as the initial advisor who as head of the police I believe would serve well. You all will have a week to vote in the active shinobi that will take the final position. As for Koharu and Homura please take this opportunity to get back in touch with the outside world and enjoy your remaining years. I look forward to the day that your grandchildren join our ranks and hope you will pass down what you've learned. As for Danzo, I wish to speak with you in my office."

With that said the Yondaime vanished by use of his trademark and self-made Hiraishin no jutsu. He had hurried things along not allowing the customary one week period for the council to mule over it using their hunger for more power against them. If he hadn't he was positive the proposal would not have gone through as the three of them would not have allowed it.

* * *

><p>Back within the Academy portion Naruto sighed as he settled into his place back with the students. After the parents had all left Iruka-sensei had made everyone come down and had assigned new seats. He now found himself seated within the front of the class on the side closest to the window taking the seat furthest in. Beside him sat Hinata, while the Akimichi boy sat on the end of the row. He'd learned after they'd all been forced to introduce themselves that the Akimichi's name is Choji, the Nara's is Shikamaru, and the Yamanaka's name is Ino. The Inuzuka had introduced himself as Kiba and the Aburame as Shino. His name had induced some shocked reactions from all but Hinata and Sasuke who he had already known. Thankfully due to all of the clan children in attendance this was an advanced class and he didn't have to sit through something like intro to chakra.<p>

Most of the time had been spent outdoors however. Iruka had wanted to get a feel for what everyone knew and could do. They had been made to run a track for a few laps which was timed. He'd done a mile in ten minutes at a leisurely pace. Following that he wanted to see what they could do taijutsu wise and had pitted them against a chuunin ranked teaching assistant. Not many had been able to last even three minutes against him, aside from the Inuzuka, Sasuke and Hinata. The Nara boy had called it 'too troublesome' and had opted not to go at all while the Akimichi, Yamanaka, and Aburame hadn't been impressive at all. It wasn't really surprising all of those clans were known for their special clan related ninjutsu techniques anyway. When his turn was finally called he took the opportunity to knock the man on his back once the chance presented itself. After that the man had obviously took him more seriously because he put up more of a fight. His bout went the entire three minutes before Iruka-sensei called it, but he was sure he'd have beaten him if he was taller or if he had one of his weapons on hand.

When the weapons handling came up he'd been able to show his skill with the kunai and shuriken a skill which only Sasuke had seemed to be able to match scoring a perfect ten for ten on the targets. Hinata had been close with a nine of ten as one of hers had fallen just short of the bull's eye on the target. The civilian raised kids had proven themselves pathetic with the weapons only barely even hitting the target, especially the girls. All in all everything had gone just as he had expected things to go. Of course he knew he would have to hold back a lot in this academy but that didn't really bother him too much, he knew if he showed his true skills he could graduate within the year however he'd rather spend more time training and playing around with his brother. It's not like there was any kind of rush for him to get out into the world now anyway.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for the man known as Danzo to reach the Hokage's office. When he was given permission to enter Minato was seated calmly within his chair his face a mask of seriousness that hadn't been seen from him since the near war with Kumo. Motioning for the man to sit down Minato looked him over with a critical eye ignoring the man's own narrowed eye. Channeling a small amount of chakra and creating a one handed seal beneath the desk he activated the rooms silencing seals and sat forward with his hands upon the desk.<p>

"I am reactivating the black ops program Ne and placing you at its head." Began Minato surprising the man.

"Of course I've known it was still active all this time as well. However I will ignore this and not kill you if the following conditions are met. First and foremost I want a roster of all Ne operatives both past and present on my desk in 48 hours. Secondly I do not want the emotionless robots that you trained them to be. I need them with full personality so that they may change roles as needed. They will be deep cover spies with multiple identities complete with paperwork. I don't want anyone to know these are shinobi as such they won't wear standard ninja gear. I want them to be able to get close to their targets and learn all they can before taking them out. What you did before is no longer part of the job description." Explained Minato

"You're talking completely retraining them; that will take time." Said Danzo lowly.

"You've got a year to get them ready. Also Danzo there will be no child recruits, you will report all progress to the Hokage and the Hokage only on a monthly basis. Should any problems arise with your recruits I expect you to fix them." Said Minato.

"What about funding?" questioned Danzo.

"You can start off with the funds you've leaked from the treasury. Anything after that I will decide at a later date." Hearing this and taking the dismissal for what it was Danzo stood and left the room.

"You sure that was a good idea gaki?"

At the question a new figure appeared within the corner of the room. The figure was large man standing at 6'2" with waist-length, spiky white hair tied back into a pony tail, with two shoulder-length bangs that framed both sides of his face. He also had red lines that ran down from his eyes and wore a horned forehead protector with the kanji for 'Oil'. He wore a green short shirt kimono and matching pants; under which he wore mesh armor that showed out of the sleeves and legs of his outfit. His outfit was completed with hand guards, a simple black belt, traditional geta.

"He'd have tried something if I'd just left him alone, this will keep him busy. Still I'm only going to give him enough rope to hang himself with Jiraiya-sensei." Said Minato.

"How's the little gaki?" questioned Jiraiya.

"He's doing good. He started the academy today." Said Minato.

"That's good, he might get bored soon though." Said Jiraiya.

"I know but I have a few plans for him should that happen." Said Minato with a mischievous grin.

"I'm thinking about sticking around for a bit, maybe teach him a jutsu or two." Said the older man.

"Something defensive I hope." Said Minato.

"Of course, he's still a kid after all no point in rushing him." agreed the toad sage.

"What about Tsunade-sama?" questioned Minato.

"She said she'll send some material but she's not coming back. She's enjoying Uzu right now." Informed Jiraiya causing his former student to sigh.

"Maybe Naruto can convince her." Mused Minato.

"Ha good luck with that. She sees him every day now while she's there and she spends plenty of time with the baby gaki too." Said Jiraiya with a laugh.

"So what have you heard?"

With that one question Jiraiya turned serious and the two began to really talk. As he heard more and more plans began to form in the mind of the Yondaime Hokage.

AN: That's it the chapter is done. I think next chapter will have another time skip so that I can get into the meat of the story. W/E the case though leave me some reviews so I can know what you all think. Until next time LATER.


	4. Chapter 4

Chronicles of the Dragon Ninja

Chapter 4

AN: Hello all I'm back again. I know its been a while but I just recently moved and right now my internet is not on in the new place yet. I'm actually jacking my neighbors wifi right now but don't know how long it'll be until they wise up lol. This chapter is actually longer than it was initially going to be but I just kept getting ideas for the chapter. Anyway that said here's the new chapter.

Start Now:

It was another bright day in Hi no Kuni, the sun's rays shining down upon the whole of the country. In the last five years things had been going quite well as far as the Yondaime Hokage was concerned. The new Ne was proving themselves quite well and he hadn't had much if any problems out of Danzo now that he had found a real use for him. He'd been able to move Rin back into the village and she was now poised to take over as head of the hospital in a few years. Unfortunately he had yet to manage to convince Tsunade to come back and the woman had taken to traveling once again earlier in the year. His youngest son Kenshin had begun training with his mother's clan three years prior and from all reports was pleasing his instructors just as much as his elder brother had, he'd even managed to according to his father-in-law convince a very powerful samurai to train him in kenjutsu. Naruto however was set to graduate the academy and wrap up his clans training as well and was now an expert hand of several melee weapons. The one piece of bad however had been the massacre of nearly a quarter of the Uchiha clan by Uchiha Itachi five years ago including his clans council; Itachi had since been marked as an S-class nuke-nin and hadn't been so much as heard from since.

At the moment the man was within his office Namikaze Minato looked at the assembled group of so called elite shinobi and didn't even try to hold in his mirth. With the sole exception of a single person every one of his ANBU currently present were covered top to bottom in random splashes of paint, most notably cherry blossom pink; their hair was frazzled and covered in a rainbow of colors, some were covered in feathers, but perhaps worst many than that many of them had the word 'pervert' covering them several times, even the women. The only one not covered was the one known simply as 'Inu'. Behind the dog mask however he knew the face of his student Hatake Kakashi was also reflecting his amusement with the current situation. After a few more moments however the mirth left him and he became the stern commander that had led the Hidden Leaf to victory during the Third Shinobi War. Despite the hilarity in front of him this was not the first group of ANBU he'd seen like this, far from it in fact. It seemed like every member of the ANBU had received a similar treatment within the last few hours.

"I'm truly disappointed. Naruto approached me about this idea over a week ago and I told him confidently that it would fail. I knew there was no way that my twelve year old son could successfully take down my ANBU especially not within their own headquarters." Began the man causing all but Inu to wince especially since these were all captains standing before him.

"Inu how did you get away unscathed?" questioned Minato.

"I noticed that things were slightly off as soon as I walked in. Traps were set up expertly but there were clues left behind. I also noticed that my locker was rigged when I saw the dial had been placed on zero." Said Inu calmly his tone sharp and attentive.

"Good. I had wondered briefly if he left you out purposely for a moment." Said Minato before his gaze hardened once more.

"It seems Naruto was correct and my ANBU have become lazy and lax in these times of relative peace. For the next six months the whole of ANBU will be under increased training since it seems all of you can be killed by an academy student. I'm sure Sarutobi-sensei will be all too happy to handle your training."

Everyone including Inu shuddered at this not even bothering to hide their fear. Despite the love that everyone held for the Sandaime there were still horror stories circulating about what he did to those who slacked off in their duties. While the man certainly made legends he was still a sadist at heart when it came to punishment by training. Rumor had it that Orochimaru had actually developed his complexion after the horror that was his introduction to one of the Sandaime's punishment sessions.

"Inu you will be exempted from this training for the time being. As part of a bet I agreed you would once again have a chance to take charge of a gennin cell should Naruto pull it off. Kushina has already seen you all so…"

Minato left the rest hanging but everyone understood. One did not make a bet with Kushina and back out after losing, even Tsunade wasn't that brave. Having known her for as long as he did Inu knew exactly how vengeful the redhead could be; no one wanted to be on the bad side of the woman who Naruto had inherited his prankster ways from. Even though Naruto had surpassed her on the scale of pranks committed he was still nowhere near as demented as his mother is.

"If the team I get passes, Tenzo is my chosen successor." Said Inu getting a nod from Minato who made a note of it.

Even still Inu wasn't worried among those on the list of potential jounin-sensei he had developed a bit of a reputation as his test seemed to be the hardest of them all, even if it was a time honored tradition.

* * *

><p>Umino Iruka was perhaps the proudest he'd ever been in his life. It was the day of the genin exams and he could see that his whole class would pass. It was truly amazing what his class had been able to accomplish in the five years he had been teaching them. It was truly surprising what the results the change in curriculum had brought, as they were only the second class it had actually affected. Though they were still sticking to the agreement that had ended the last war in the lower number of forces what they were now putting out was of far higher quality. While most of them would not become field shinobi, all of his students had futures that he had noted down and submitted to the headmistress. Many of them had surprising talent in the medical area, others would go on to be placed in the cryptology department, some had futures in interrogation and the list went on.<p>

There were nine however that stood above the rest of the class. While most of them were clan heirs one was civilian raised which also said quite a bit to anyone paying attention. Already they were nearing the end of the exam and once again he couldn't be prouder. The written test had been completed without anyone actually tanking it and the weapons exam had also gone extremely well with everyone scoring at least seventy percent some had even scored some bonus points for the usage of senbon, which they didn't teach in the academy. The taijutsu portion had gone as he'd expected it to as well and while some had fallen short many had proven themselves at least decent when it came down to taijutsu. The Akimichi, Aburame, Hyuga and Inuzuka heirs had all shown themselves to be more than just proficient in that area of combat and had taken less than the five minutes necessary to pass. The Hyuga heiress Hinata had even managed to render the assistant unable to fight in two minutes.

Haruno Sakura, the sole civilian raised girl that would go active, had reached the three minute mark and showed she had a solid grasp of the medic-nin taijutsu style from what he could tell. Nara Shikamaru had taken the entire five minutes and showed the least effort doing nothing more than dodging the attacks the entire time. When Namikaze Naruto was up he completed it within two minutes and had successfully knocked the wind out of the assistant instructor and made him step his game up before putting him down for the count. When Uchiha Sasuke stepped up a few minutes later he was not out done and had showed his knowledge of the Uchiha Clans taijutsu which allowed him to end it within two minutes as well. Honestly he wasn't surprised by the results of the Hyuga, Namikaze or the Uchiha; the Hyuga in general were rather strict when it came to taijutsu; Sasuke was the son to the head of the police force and the academies headmistress; and Naruto was the son of the Hokage all three of them were surrounded by high expectations. Whatever the case Yamanaka Ino was the last of the clan children and took just over four minutes in order to pass.

The final portion was the jutsu demonstration which they were now in the process of wrapping up. Iruka was more than pleased with this portion as not only had everyone managed to pull off the basic three Henge, Bunshin and Kawarimi but many had even displayed outside techniques for extra credit. Naruto had been the sole exception displaying three different Bunshin types; they had found he possessed a rather large chakra pool and was currently unable to use the miniscule amount needed for the plain Bunshin without overloading the technique, as such he had been allowed to substitute that two elemental Bunshin jutsu using the Mizu and Tsuchi Bunshin techniques in order to pass before displaying his knowledge of the jounin level Kage Bunshin for extra credit which his father had apparently taught him.

Looking out over the sea of proudly smiling faces Iruka couldn't help but return a smile of his own. All of his students bore a hitae-tae either on their forehead, on the upper arm, atop the head like a bandana or around the waist like a belt. Several of them had rather euphoric looks upon their faces and he found himself looking forward to the day that they began missions a rather evil glint coming to his eyes while a cackle sounded within his mind.

"Congratulations all of you. For five years you have all learned here and today you have all demonstrated you have the skill necessary to join our village's ranks as genin. You have the week off before reporting back here next Monday for team assignments; dismissed." As Iruka finished his short speech the students filed out talking excitedly among each other.

Despite the fact that the genin exam was over Naruto didn't relax in the slightest. As he left the main exit along with his peers he was met with a crowd of parents waiting to greet their kids and congratulate them. His father was the only one there to greet him standing outside the gates in the uniform of a typical jounin, even his customary white haori missing from his person. He was standing beside Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Hiashi all of them wearing rather serious expressions on their faces.

"Congratulations on passing the exams. Are you ready?" greeted then questioned Minato.

Naruto nodded his eyes shining with determination. Now that he had taken the genin exam and passed he would have to go through the Dragon Trials. Like all ninja clans the Uzumaki had a set of trials that people would have to go through and pass in order to be seen as not just an adult but a shinobi of the clan. He had been offered the chance to take the trials two years ago but had declined informing everyone that he wanted more time to train. Minato seeing the determined and serious expression his son sported simply placed a hand on his shoulder before both disappeared. At the same time Hiashi also directed a look towards his daughter before leading her away. Now alone the two Uchiha exchanged looks before making their way to the Uchiha district.

* * *

><p>Quite some time later blue eyes could be seen peering out at their surroundings taking in everything in excruciating detail. It had been over an hour already that he'd been in the midst of this trial and he'd already seen a lot of trouble and could see why so many people failed this stage. From his position within the trees he could see five guards down below, two of which were archers who stood further back than the initial three. They were the bigger threat and as such would be the first to go which would allow him an easier time of taking out the remaining three. Removing his strong bow from his back he made quick work of the two archers taking each of them out with shots to the throat. Stowing the bow and leaping out from his hidden perch he dashed off towards the remaining three all three rushing to meet him. As the first reached him and lashed out with a Kama he ducked under the blow spinning and bisecting him with his sword. Not even slowing for a moment he rose quickly and slid to his right his blade flashing and severing the left arm of his second attacker before the follow up took their head. The final one took just that moment to make a move rushing at him and swinging down with a sword of his own. Parrying the attack Naruto spun and lashed out with a kick that hit his opponent with enough force to send him staggering back. Moving quickly Naruto took advantage of the situation by lopping off his head. Flicking his sword through the air to clean it of fluids he sheathed it and dashed forward to continue on his way, the bodies crumbling into dirt after he left.<p>

He slowed to a stop a few minutes later having come to a three way fork in the path. He was in a momentary dilemma for while his mind told him to head straight ahead his instincts screamed he should head left until finally instinct won out and he headed down the leftmost path. After a few minutes of travel he found himself standing at what appeared to be a dead end; looking around however he saw that not to be the case as he found what appeared to be a gap in the wall of rock that surrounded him to his right. Moving over he found that it appeared as if it was purposely carved out as the two sides were connected by the innermost portion of rock. It wasn't all that wide maybe about six feet in width but it reached all the way to the top of the wall which was about thirty feet up. As it was he would have frowned as part of the trial was that chakra use was prohibited so running up the wall was out. However he smirked and took a few steps back so that his back pressed against the wall and he was faced away from the direction he'd come from. Taking a breath and releasing it he closed the distance with the other wall only to run up and once he began to slip he kicked off into a backflip his feet hitting the opposite wall just long enough for him to kick off once more an action that was constantly repeated until finally he kicked off the final time and flipped forward landing on his feet.

Looking back down with a smirk he couldn't help but thank the fact that he'd taken up pranking. He'd come up with that trick before he'd learned how to use his chakra for surface climbing while being chased by a squad of chuunin. At the time he'd used the alley walls and in that moment of blind determination had come up with the trick. Back then however he hadn't used flips and instead would jump from foot to foot at least until he found out that using two feet added more power. Shaking the thought away he turned his attention forward and was surprised to find himself standing in front of what appeared to be a rather old and run down temple. It took a bit of effort but he managed to push open one of the large double doors, at least enough so that he could enter. As he did so he found the peculiar sight of an empty room greeting him. As he walked around the room he frowned not seeing a single way out aside from the doors he'd used to enter. He had half a mind to simply leave and go about his business as he knew this place had nothing to do with the trails but his gut was screaming at him that something was off. Taking a deep breath to calm himself he looked around again he checked out the entirety of the room and almost smacked himself when he saw the slit that he was standing on.

Taking a step back and crouching down he looked at the slit and was surprised at the length and width of it. Narrowing his eyes he drew his sword, a standard katana he'd bought the previous year. Tip first he placed the sword into the slot until it came to a stop at the tsuba, incredulously he turned his wrist, the blade following until it stopped with a click the slit now running vertically in front of him. The entire room shook a moment later and it was only his grip on the hilt that kept him from falling on his ass. At the same time he watched as a portion of the wall in front of him slid back before slowly swinging inwards revealing a doorway that had been cleverly hidden.

Standing to his feet he moved through the doorway cautiously his eyes widening at what he found. Inside was a wealth of treasure ranging from gold to precious gems of all types, that however wasn't what caught his attention the most. No, that honor belonged to the dull silver coffin that rested in the center of it all telling him this was a tomb and a large life size statue standing behind it. The statue was that of a man wearing ninja gear similar to his own making it impossible to see any details about the man. His eyes were soon drawn to the side of the statue were a single sword rested calmly on a rack, though dusty he could tell the hilt was once a vibrant red and the sheath had been well made and sturdy while the oval shaped tsuba had once been a golden color instead of the dull brown it was now. As if in a trance he moved and stood before the rack wrapping his hand around the hilt, immediately a bolt of energy shot up his arm and his eyes glazed over before he passed out the sword not leaving his hand.

* * *

><p>They had been sleeping when they had first felt it. It had been a nudge at the edge of their senses just enough to wake them. Upon awakening all realized that it was a power that all had recognized but had never seen in their time among the living. Though fragmented as it was the power was still enough for them to feel and as such they'd reached out and called for it. The wait hadn't been long and they had guided it towards them and soon all were surprised at the figure that had appeared before them. It was a boy no older than thirteen with sky blue eyes and short spiky hair the color of sunshine. He was dressed in purple ninja garb and though the amount was minuscule he held a trace of their blood flowing through his veins.<p>

"**So after all this time a member of the Dragon Lineage has appeared**." Spoke one of them, their voice soft and feminine yet still carrying an undertone of power.

"**There is a second entity within him however…hmm Kyubi no Kitsune, curious**." Spoke a second this one male.

"**It seems the power has been split into nine and divided into nine tailed beast numbering from one to nine tails**." Said another feminine voice.

"**The world has changed once again. The humans have learned so much and to do something such as this**." Spoke another voice this one carrying a hint of pride.

"**They have gained and lost much since our last time out there**." Said another.

"**Touched by destiny, this one is**." Said another

"**He has potential, drive and his heart is still pure**." Said yet another.

"**The beast within him will be a problem. It has become corrupted much like the three ancients were**." Said the first.

"**It's chakra is slowly filtering with the boys. However it is too malignant and will no doubt harm him in the long run**." Said another thoughtfully.

"**We could use it. Strengthen the boy's blood and use the beast's power as a medium**." Said a new voice.

"**Perhaps we can do more. If we do this right perhaps there is a chance that even he may be awakened**." Said another new voice bringing a hush over the others.

"**It may be necessary. Another of our blood is brewing trouble; he knows not that his path will lead him to reviving the traitor**." Said another voice this one rougher than the others

"**Then we must act while we can. It seems that we have found a worthy successor for the mantle in this one anyway**." Said another.

"**Then we are in agreement brothers, sisters. He shall become the next wielder and Dragon Ninja**."

With murmurs of agreement the legendary creatures known as the 12 Dragon Gods focused their gaze completely on the boy and got to work.

* * *

><p>As he regained consciousness he sat up slowly and took in his surroundings. In a flash everything came back to him and he glanced down at the sheathed sword clutched within his hand. Standing he drew the blade and though ravaged by time and disuse he could see that what he held in his hand was far from an ordinary sword.<p>

_Ryuken_

The name came to him as if whispered by the wind and his eyes widened in shock. Ryuken or the Dragon Sword was legendary within his clan said to have been forged from the fang of one of the Dragon Gods. Legend said that it had been sealed away long ago when it was found that no one could wield it any longer and its resting place had been lost to time. To think that it had been on the island and within such close proximity to them for so long and no one had found it was astounding. While amazing he didn't have time to think about all of that right now though, he was still in the middle of his trial and had no more time to doddle. Tossing his old sheath aside and securing the Ryuken to his back the blond began looking for a way out and almost immediately spotted what appeared to be a lever within the nearest wall. Pulling the lever he watched as the door pulled back and swung open once more. As soon as it did he took off his body almost flying across the empty room and out of the temple doors and not even hesitating he leapt off the rock wall and somehow managed to land lightly on his feet before he began to run back down the path from which he came.

He could see that it was nearing sunset, meaning that he'd been out for over two hours and that his time limit had begun to run out as he only had until the sun set to complete the trial before someone was dispatched to retrieve him. As he ran however he couldn't believe how good he felt; his body felt as light as a feather and despite the speed at which he was moving the scenery didn't so much as blur in his eyes. The drop and sudden stop hadn't even fazed him much aside from a jarring that had quickly faded away and he could also feel his chakra now flowing through his body more peacefully than it had ever done before. Up ahead he could see a trio of perched figures and didn't even slow as he tossed a trio of shuriken each one connecting to a forehead. As he reached a rather large gap over a river about ten feet down he leapt and grabbed hold a small but thick branch from a tree before swinging around it and launching himself forward flying through the air and landing in a roll on the other side.

As he came to his feet he quickly caught the wrist of a new attacker and after slamming his chest with a palm strike spun and threw him over the edge and into the water below. He winced in pain a moment later and pulled the kunai that had struck him out of his left arm before hurling it out at the one who'd thrown it, the projectile flying quickly and nailing their forehead with such force that it punched through the blank hitae-tae that had protected it causing them to fall from their perch in the trees. That done he took off again and seeing another out in the open he leapt forward on instinct drawing the sword at his back and beheading the masked shinobi as he passed and skidded to a halt.

A few minutes later he ran across the water of a river using the barely visible bridge hidden beneath the surface of the water. Running up the rock wall in front of him he quickly grabbed hold of the ledge up top and managed to pull himself up. There was nothing up top except for a single chest which he calmly walked towards before kicking the top off revealing two scrolls within. Reaching inside he removed the scroll closest to him which he quickly proceeded to open and read.

'_Naruto since you are no doubt reading this then congratulations are in order for you have passed the trial. You have been one of the best trainees I have ever had the pleasure of teaching and while I am sad to see you go know that I will follow your career closely. That said you are no longer a hatchling but a Dragon and while young I have faith that you shall stand taller and soar higher than all of us. Also along with this scroll I have placed another which contains a new uniform should you wish to wear it and a jutsu scroll as all graduates receive once completing the trials. Train hard, grow strong, and don't you dare be a stranger. – Chiyoko_'

As he finished reading the scroll he couldn't help but smile as he rolled it up. Removing the second scroll from the chest he proceeded to seal both of them within a storage seal he'd placed on the underside of his left arm. That done he turned back to the way he came and began the long journey back to the entrance.

* * *

><p>Naruto looked out at the clear blue sky from the ledge of his bedroom window the next morning. He smiled as he turned his eyes to the bed and took in the sight of his little brother clutching onto a stuffed replica of Gamabunta that Jiraiya had given him. Shaking the chibi awake he quickly had him up and running to get ready for the day ahead while trying to keep his long red hair out of his eyes. In celebration of both his academy graduation and his completion of the Dragon Trials his mother had thrown him a small party. It had been more of a family celebration but he'd been quite happy when Tenten had shown up as due to their busy schedules he only barely got to see her since she became a genin the previous year. At the moment he was dressed in a more relaxed outfit consisting of black pants and a dark blue sleeveless shirt, his hitae-tae was on his forehead and he wore blue ninja sandals.<p>

Nearly fifteen minutes later Kenshin had joined him downstairs and dived into his food with the same ravenous aptitude that he himself often had. Of course Kenshin didn't eat anywhere near as much as he did but he had a higher metabolism and honestly needed the food to restore his energy stores. Tsunade had likened him to the Akimichi in that respect though everyone knew it was due to the presence of the Kyubi within him that he would eat so much.

"Nii-san where did you get that?" questioned Kenshin eyeing the sword that was sitting beside his brother.

Naruto knew he'd notice; his old sword had a blue hilt and a triangular guard as opposed to what the Ryuken looked like. Naruto however merely gave the boy a teasing smile and went back to his meal causing him to pout. It didn't have the boy's attention for long however as he soon enough turned his attention back to the heavenly delight that was in front of him, the food of the gods itself known as ramen. Naruto had poured several of last night's leftovers into the noodles which included lobster, chicken, corn, shrimp, and kamaboko. While it wasn't Ichiraku's it was still quite good and the two were digging in ravenously. Not long later and the two were out and about and as the two brothers walked down the streets they made sure to return the greetings of whoever stopped to speak to them. Naruto was just thankful people had stopped worshipping him over the whole Kyuubi thing, it had been annoying as he hadn't really done anything and wanted to be recognized and acknowledged for his own actions. Finally they came to the shopping district which as always was quite crowded; it was the center of the gossip of the entire village after all.

Despite this however they soon found themselves entering a shop that had become the premier weapons shop within the village known as the Dragon Claw. Though it wasn't even three years old the place had very quickly become the place to go in Konoha for top quality weapons especially after people had witnessed their beloved Yondaime Hokage shopping there with his family. The ringing of the bell over the door caught the attention of the two men at the counter and the two boys wasted no time rushing to the old man on their side and engulfing him in a hug with cries of 'Jiji'. Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled as he returned the hugs of his surrogate grandchildren who seemed to always become more energetic when he was around. Now retired the Sandaime had taken to wearing the robes of the village elder council which Minato had created surprisingly placing both Homura and Koharu alongside him. They didn't have large workloads or many duties and more often than not were out giving lectures but even Koharu and Homura would admit that the position was far less stressful than their previous occupations had been.

"So what brings you boys in today?" questioned the man on the other side of the counter.

This man was Muramasa Tenchi, though not many people knew his clan name. He stood at about 5'11" and had a rather muscular build thanks to his long time doing metal work. He had his long brown hair pulled into a tail that ended at his mid-back and wore black pants and a brown short sleeved shirt over which was a black apron. Though a blacksmith by title the man before them focused exclusively on weapon making and was now the sole producer of the ANBU and Oinin divisions. The man was also the father of Naruto's oldest friend Tenten.

"Two things; first I want to get Kenshin here a katana, specifically a sakabato." Said Naruto causing Tenchi to raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"Sakabato huh, don't get many request for them. Still I think I have one laying around back somewhere, give me a few minutes." Said Tenchi before he moved to the back room

"Ne nii-san what's a sakabato?" questioned Kenshin tilting his head causing Hiruzen to chuckle at his rather perfect emulation of his brother.

"A sakabato is a reverse-bladed sword. It is a katana in all appearances however the outward curve is blunt while the inner portion is sharpened. It is not something many make and as such it's extremely rare but perfect for your training. Unlike a bokken, a sakabato will allow you to get used to the weight of an actual sword, plus it's actually illegal for you to carry a real one around at the moment but this will negate that." Explained Naruto with a smirk that Kenshin was soon copying.

"Your brother is right in that point. In fact the sakabato is something I myself created after the First Great Shinobi War."

At the new voice all three turned as an old man slowly made his way forward from the back room. He was dressed in dark grey almost black pants that ended at the end of his shins and a matching kosode that stopped at his waist. Atop his head he wore a white bandana, which was in truth the marking of his mastership of his craft. His eyebrows were a bit bushy and white and he had a white beard that reached the top of his chest. He had red prayer beads wrapped around his right wrist and wore simple civilian tabi sandals; he was bent forward as if favoring his back and moving forward aided by a walking stick before taking a seat behind the counter. Tenchi followed him out carrying in his arm a rather ornate looking box which he preceded to place on the counter and open. Reaching inside Muramasa pulled out the katana that had been inside, a glossy black lacquered scabbard being the first they could see along with the tight black nylon wrapped around the white handle with a matching black oval shaped guard.

"This is Shinuchi. Overall she is 3 shaku in length meaning 41 inches; the blade itself being 2 shaku actually 27.5 inches. The blade is made of high quality steel and the handle made from hardwood red oak as is the scabbard." As Muramasa said this he drew the sword showing everyone the shining steel with the reverse-bladed make.

"Your mother told me that you convinced Seijuro-kun to train you in his style so I'll let you have this half off only 3835 yen ($50)." Said Muramasa causing Kenshin to smile

"Seijuro?" questioned Hiruzen.

"Hiko Seijuro XXII, he is the greatest sword master in all of Uzu." Said Muramasa causing Hiruzen to turn impressed eyes to young Kenshin who was beaming as Naruto handed over the amount Muramasa had asked for.

"You said you needed two things." Reminded Tenchi causing Naruto to remove a scroll which he proceeded to unroll and unseal a sword.

Muramasa took the sword before Tenchi could reach for it eyeing it intently. The scabbard was beyond repair with several cracks lining it and the red nylon wrapping had also seen better days now faded and looking almost pink. The gold on the guard was dirty but could be used as could the gold ring around the scabbard, and the caps on the hilt and scabbard, though all would need a thorough cleaning. Drawing the blade his eyes actually opened as he could immediately feel a subtle power that he could recognize anywhere. While the blade appeared to be steel he could tell there was much more to it than that, sure it had steel elements but that wasn't the main makeup of the blade. Overall the sword was 3 shaku in length only an inch longer than Shinuchi, though the blade was only 26 inches the handle being a bit over 11 inches long.

"So this is Ryuken." Said Muramasa turning the blade over and looking down it and causing Tenchi to choke.

"Your joking right. I thought that sword was lost." Said Tenchi now paying even closer attention to the blade.

"Apparently not anymore. I've actually seen a dragon before and can tell you that this is the same subtle energy as that creatures though far more potent even though it's muted." Said Muramasa.

"I take it that sword is special." Said Hiruzen eyeing it but not having much knowledge on the subject.

"Indeed. This sword is legendary and more powerful than even the Kusanagi. In terms of value to those that know of it this sword would buy Konoha and everyone in it several times over." Explained Muramasa shocking the former Hokage.

"Can you have it ready in a week?" questioned Naruto.

"Of course I'll work on it personally." Said Muramasa.

"Thank you. Tenchi-san I'd have asked you but I know you have quite the work load already." Said Naruto.

"Don't worry about it. The old man is still a better crafter than I am. Something like Ryuken deserves the attention of only the best around." Said Tenchi

"Naruto-kun you don't actually plan on using such a valuable weapon do you?" questioned Hiruzen in surprise.

"Of course I do jiji. The Ryuken has been the weapon of my clan's head's for thousands of years. It was entombed with the last wielder before anyone knew he'd had children and no one had known exactly where he'd been buried. I found the tomb yesterday during my trial and look forward to it living up to its purpose once more." Said Naruto.

"True enough. Despite its value Ryuken was made to be used it wouldn't be right to leave it on some pedestal." Said Tenchi giving the boy a proud look.

"For this blade I'll do the maintenance for free. I've always wanted to lay hands on it." Said Muramasa retreating to the backroom and the forge.

"So that's why it took you so long to complete the trials. Still the clan will be proud of what you've done." Came Kushina's voice catching everyone's attention.

"Kaa-san what are you doing here?" questioned Naruto in surprise while Kenshin ran up to his mother to show her his new sword.

"Well I was actually here to give Tenchi-kun his check and I'm glad I came when I did. So sochi when did you plan on telling me you found Ryuken?" answered then questioned Kushina.

"Right after I got it fixed up." Said Naruto quickly at seeing her glaring eyes.

"Well I think I'll take the rest of the day off. We need to go see your grandfather." Said Kushina causing Naruto to sigh but nod.

* * *

><p>The rest of the week had passed by all too quickly and Naruto soon found himself on his way back to the academy. He now wore a pair of dark blue pants with a matching V-neck sleeveless version of the shozoku top which had actually been part of the outfit that Chiyoko had gifted him with. Beneath that he wore a long sleeved fishnet top the sleeves stopping just past his elbows with a black belt holding the top closed. His head and face were uncovered and his hitae-tae was secured to his forehead, he wore black leather bracers on his forearms and the standard blue ninja sandals. Ryuken was strapped to his back secured with a black nylon strap and had undergone a makeover of sorts. The faded red nylon that had once covered the handle had been replaced by a dark blue one and the scabbard was a new lacquered dark blue that was nearly black while the gold caps, guard, and ring had all been thoroughly polished giving the sword a updated yet still classy look.<p>

He had received many looks due to his change in outfit along the way but paid it very little mind as in the academy he'd worn simple black pants and a white t-shirt. Now however he had put a bit of a spin on his clans traditional ninja wear as they usually wore the full shozoku. As he entered the classroom for what he hoped would be the final time he became the center of attention many of the girls drinking in his looks while the boys took note of the change in outfit and the sword strapped to his back. Looking around he could see that he was the only one to really change their appearance at all, though others had added things. Shrugging it off he quickly found himself a seat taking the open one by Shikamaru which put him in the middle of the room. Not long later Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura made their way into the room talking animatedly only for them to stop as they laid eyes on the blond with Ino having to pick up her jaw quite quickly before either of them could say anything however Iruka made his way into the room and sent the two girls to find seats. Iruka was surprised as almost immediately the room became silent as the newly graduated students began paying close attention to him but quickly shook it off.

"Well I'm happy everyone made it on time today. As of today you are all genin, rookie ninja. That said all of you still have a lot to learn about the world outside of the safety of the village and the academy. That said I still look forward to following all of your careers and one day I know all of you will make me proud to have taught you. That said let us begin the team selection announcements." Said Iruka causing the children to all sit up in their seats.

* * *

><p>Within the Hokage's office Minato along with the prospective jounin sensei, his predecessor Hiruzen and his current advisors were watching it all on the Hokage's crystal ball, though the clever usage of a jutsu had allowed them to make the scene big enough for all to see so that they didn't have to crowd the man's desk. As the teams were announced he could see that many of the chosen jounin were fine with what they were given haven been given the files on their charges during the week. While he knew many of the genin wouldn't pass the field test he was using it as an evaluation of their skills as well to determine if they were ready to enter the fields that they specialized in. The last class to graduate had only had one team go on to become a field team while the others had been sent to their specializations though they were still receiving further training.<p>

Still he was happy with this new crop of graduates as they were honestly quite a bit more skilled than the last crop. He was paying particularly close attention to three particular jounin who'd he'd chosen to take on the group of clan heirs Yuhi Kurenai, Sarutobi Asuma, and Hatake Kakashi. Though a rookie jounin he knew Kurenai quite well the woman having been one of Kushina's students before she'd been forced to retire, Asuma was the Sandaime's son and a former member of the Daimyo's personal guard known as the Shogonin Junishi (Twelve Guardian Ninja), and his own student Hatake Kakashi who'd been a jounin since age fourteen and the only jounin to have failed every team that he'd ever gotten now counting six. While many would see it as favoritism on his part he could honestly say that it wasn't and that these three would be the ones that those nine would be the most receptive to and would learn the most from, they would literally be shaping the future of Konoha themselves.

* * *

><p>Naruto could honestly say that he was impressed with the team selections. Having observed his classmates for so long he could see that everyone named so far had been put on teams that complimented their various skills quite well. Of course several of them weren't pleased with their teammates as they had problems getting along but he shrugged it off as that was none of his concern, he was just pleased that none of the die-hard fan-girls remained and those that had been on that road had been beaten off of it. Many of the teams from what he could see would make decent capture or assault squads in the future still those thoughts would be saved for later as he heard the next team announcement.<p>

"Team 7: Namikaze Naruto, Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke."

As Iruka called this team many would have raised a fuss if they didn't already know that the teams had been put together for specific purposes by the Hokage. As it was Naruto merely raised an eyebrow in curiosity when many of the girls, including Hinata, glared heatedly at Sakura. Sasuke however was fine with this selection while Sakura had been a fan-girl of his at the beginning she'd become one of the best in the medical arts in their class. Sakura however was happy she had the two strongest guys in class as her teammates however she'd honestly feel better if everyone else stopped glaring at her.

"Team 8: Hyuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino."

Hinata wanted to pout at this selection having hoped to being paired with Naruto. Though she hadn't told him she had developed quite the crush on the blond since they'd started the academy. However she wouldn't mention it as he like Sasuke always had girls throwing themselves at him and she could see quite clearly how he felt about that. As such she was choosing to bide her time and get him to notice her as her mother had instructed her. Kiba was quite happy not only was Hinata the best medic in their class and top kunoichi but she was quite the looker as well. Shino however remained his same stoic self outwardly but could see the logic behind the formation of their team. He only hoped Kiba survived as despite her kind nature he knew Hinata could be quite dangerous when needed and the Inuzuka was the biggest pervert in their class.

"Team 9 is still in circulation so we'll skip that. Team 10: Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji and Yamanaka Ino."

As one all three of the named people sighed all of them having guessed that was coming. It had become a tradition for the heirs of the three clans to be teamed together and they were usually trained together as children. As gennin all three now wore the silver looped earrings of their parents as was tradition which symbolizes the oath that their parents had made to work together, protect each other and to protect Konoha. An oath that every member of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio had sworn since Konoha's founding and the three clans had become allies. As such while she wasn't surprised Ino had still glared at Sakura simply due to the fact that she was teamed with _both_ Naruto and Sasuke.

* * *

><p>After Iruka wrapped up the team selections he dismissed them all for an hour long break mentioning that the new teams should take the time to get better acquainted. As the new genin filed out Minato cut the feed and turned his attention to the various jounin in front of him.<p>

"Now that you have all been given a look at what you have to work with I look forward to your results. I really hope more than one team is passed to the field this time but the test are as always your choice; dismissed."

With that the gathered jounin all vanished in blasts of smoke. Kakashi lingered only a moment longer than the others locking eyes with his old sensei before eye smiling and vanishing as well. Once they were gone Hiruzen moved and took a seat in front of the desk while Minato turned an expecting gaze over to his new advisors. As five years had passed three of them had been replaced Akimichi Chouza taking the noble position, Ichiraku Teuchi as the civilian, and Inuzuka Tsume the active shinobi.

"While I agree with your decisions for the most part I have to wonder about team seven. Placing Naruto and Sasuke on the same team seems like overkill considering their skill levels." Said Chouza breaking the silence.

"In truth I gave Kakashi a first response team like he always wanted. As I'm sure you remember Mikoto and Kushina were once teammates so I have no doubt that Sasuke and Naruto will be able to work together. They also cover the others weaknesses well while Naruto is a tank his skill with genjutsu is nearly nonexistent, he can only really dispel them. They are also both prone to taking a head on action which is why they got Sakura who is among the best of the new medics. While I could've put either of them on team eight to replace Kiba, Hinata is more tolerant than Sakura is by a long shot and between her and Kurenai I think they'll have a calming influence on him." explained Minato getting an understanding nod from the Akimichi head.

"I think people will be happy with this. On his own Naruto is bad enough, but combined with Kiba, Shikamaru and Choji I don't think many would have been able to stand it much longer." Said Teuchi.

"True but those four pups seemed to have been good for each other. All of them seemed to have picked up on the habits of the others to a certain extent." Said Tsume.

"It was a good idea to put them with Kakashi. Naruto is already a high level target and would need someone strong enough to give people pause with messing with him. While Sasuke is doing better I still worry about the effects Itachi's actions has had on him." said Hiruzen causing Minato to scowl.

"I still think I should have acted sooner. Even a day earlier and that could've been avoided." Said Minato with a sigh.

"What do you mean?" questioned Chouza.

"There was more to Itachi's actions than what is known." Said Minato quietly.

* * *

><p>Three hours later and Naruto wanted to groan. There was only one person he knew of that would do something like this when they knew they had a meeting. As if his thoughts summoned him the masked form of Hatake Kakashi chose just that moment to walk through the door. For a moment he simply eyed the three, two eager though one was trying not to show it, and one with a twitching eyebrow. He took a moment to eye the new sword Naruto had and was fingering before eye smiling something he'd trademarked.<p>

"Well now my first impression of you is….your boring."

He took glee inwardly as two of his new students deflated physically before telling them to meet him on the roof. As the smoke from his Shunshin vanished the three gennin began to make their way up to the roof the long way, via stairs. When they arrived he was leaning casually against the railing with a small orange book opened in front of him. Naruto scowled at the sight of the book wondering why his godfather had to write something so damn trashy after his first book from which he got his name from.

"Right then, now that you guys are here let's get to know each other shall we." Said Kakashi as if he wasn't three hours late causing the other two to develop twitching eyebrows.

"Ano, sensei why don't you go first since we don't even know your name." said Sakura causing Kakashi to look thoughtful for a moment before shrugging.

"Ok my name is Hatake Kakashi. My likes include my old sensei and teammate. I have a few dislikes and hobbies of which you're not yet old enough to know. You're up pinky." Said Kakashi causing all three to sweat drop.

"My name is Haruno Sakura. I like reading and learning new things. My dream is to become a great Medic-nin." Said the pink haired girl before Kakashi motioned to Sasuke.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I don't have many likes, I dislike a lot of things. I don't have a dream more like an ambition which is to hunt down and kill a certain person." Said Sasuke darkly causing Kakashi to sigh before he motioned to Naruto.

"My name is Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto. I like things that are sharp and pointy that I can swing up close and ramen. I dislike people who judge without getting to know others, people who try hurting my friends or family, the three minutes it takes for ramen to cook, and anything that causes Ichiraku's to close. My dream is to become the greatest of all Kage's ever." Said Naruto.

Kakashi eye smiled once more as it seemed these three would be interesting together. Still he'd withhold judgment until they managed to pass his test. If Kakashi had known the future he'd have just skipped the test altogether.

AN: Well that's it chapters done. Next chapter will be a small time skip as I just don't feel like writing the test again lol. I'm still not really sure what the pairing for this will be it may be just one girl or small harem like two or three. It doesn't matter though because that's honestly a long way off, but I can't wait to get to part two of this story I'm already having ideas for it (insert cackle). Right then thanks for reading and leave me lots and lots of reviews. Till next time, LATER.


	5. Chapter 5

Chronicles of the Dragon Ninja

Chapter 5

AN: Hello all it's been a while. I know I could make excuses about this, that and the third but I see no point in putting you guys through that. Anyway the latest manga chapter actually caught my attention simply because I'm actually loving Naruto's new Bijuu mode, with that Kishi-no-baka has almost made up for his blatant sabotaging of his own manga. I'm almost giddy about what I can do with that. Anyway with that said here's the new chapter.

Start Now:

Of all the arts of the ninja Fuinjutsu is considered to be the most obscure of them all. It is an art with limited potential stunted only by the imagination of the practitioner. Namikaze Uzumaki Kushina was particularly gifted in the field of combat fuinjutsu, in particularly in regards to weapons. By clever usage of conversion seals she had been able to solidify her chakra to interact with the outside world in the form of chains and had even succeeded in enabling it to be tied within her seal using them to further bind the Kyubi. At the moment her eldest son sat just in front of her as she went about a similar process on his shirtless form his back to her. On his other side sat Namikaze Minato his hands outstretched before him as he concentrated on the task of maintaining the seal that held the Kyubi and kept its two chakra's separate.

The process on Kushina's end was slow as it needed to be precise, like all fuinjutsu did, as one by one she engraved weapon storage seals upon her son's person. At the moment the list was rather small consisting of seals for the strong bow, tonfa, and finally the Ryuken. While the tonfa would be sealed into the underside of his forearms the bow was placed in a seal on his right shoulder and Ryuken would have one close to that. Of course these weren't normal storage seals as those required blood and chakra to use. The kind Kushina was placing required only chakra from the hand that would wield the weapons. Recognition seals were used so that only Naruto, or in emergency situations Minato or Kushina could also remove them. Ryuken was going to be his default weapon simply because everyone knew that his mother could wield a sword so seeing him doing so wouldn't appear at all strange. At the same time it was also due to the fact that he simply didn't want to seal it away and actually preferred that it was spend as little time as possible held within a seal.

"Alright Naru I'm just about done. After the ink dry's and the seals settle you can store the weapons into them. Until then you shouldn't mess with these or I'll have to redo them. Also I've made an appointment with Hikari so you can get your physical done after your test." Informed Kushina as she placed a bandage on his shoulder to cover the last of the seals.

"How are you doing with that jutsu scroll?" questioned Minato.

"Well I got the first one Kage Bunshin down pretty easily. The shuriken Kage Bunshin and the exploding clone I'm having a bit of trouble with though." Said Naruto.

"Well the shuriken Kage Bunshin requires more control and the exploding clone has a different method of molding the chakra for them to work." Explained Minato

"Thanks for the jutsu by the way." Said Naruto catching his father off guard.

"Normally people are given low level elemental jutsu but I got different ones. I also know you created the Shuriken Kage Bunshin and I could recognize your handwriting." Explained Naruto causing his father to rub the back of his head in embarrassment while his wife threw him a mock glare.

The next morning found the members of team seven gathered within their assigned training ground. In truth only Sakura had arrived on time as Sasuke had been held back by his father and Naruto had simply known better though both had arrived at eight a.m. which was two hours after the set meeting time. It was only at nine, three hours after the set meeting time, that Hatake Kakashi arrived to the training ground holding a small sack over his shoulder and his orange book before his face.

"Yo." Greeted the scarecrow not even looking up from his book.

"YOU'RE LATE!" exclaimed Sakura causing all three of the males to wince in pain.

"Right let's get started then shall we." Said Kakashi after he recovered removing a set of bells and holding them up for all to see.

"The objective of this test is to retrieve these bells from me." Said Kakashi.

"Why are there only two?" questioned Sasuke with narrowed eyes.

"Ah that's actually quite simple. You see whoever fails to get a bell fails and gets sent back to the academy. You will have until noon to get the bells from me and the one who doesn't get one will not only get sent back to the academy but tied to the post and forced to watch the others eat these two lunches I brought you." Explained the jounin with an eye smile.

On cue a pair of stomachs growled and Naruto shook his head in pity. Knowing Kakashi as he did he'd known he would be late so he had actually eaten and used the rest of the time for his food to settle. Kakashi meanwhile was pleased if only inwardly as none of the genin had recklessly charged him as had happened with all of the other teams he had been given over the years. Reaching into the sac he pulled out a clock and set the alarm before placing it atop of the centermost post.

"Since there don't seem to be any more questions; begin."

With that word from Kakashi the three graduates vanished.

* * *

><p>Hiko Seijuro XXII was a massive mountain of a man. As Kenshin stood before him he was literally dwarfed by the man's size; standing at 6'2 inches he was a 191 pound wall of muscle. He wore a pair of grey hakama pants held up with a white tie on belt with a blue gi top that clung to him serving only to show off the muscles that covered his form. He had long chestnut brown hair which he kept in a ponytail that stopped at the lower portion of his back with a single bang hanging down the center of his forehead. He had intense brown eyes that gazed upon the world with a purpose that only their owner could know of. At the moment he looked over the sakabato that Kenshin had carried with him with a critical eye studying it in a way that only a master swordsmen could.<p>

"This blade is remarkable. While it won't do you much good in the real world for training purposes it is certainly ideal." Remarked the man as he handed the blade back to the boy who sheathed it.

"Now then as you have already had training before I don't have to work into you the very basics. Instead we will go into the pure work, the core of the training. My style which you will learn is called the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu (Flying Heaven Honorable Sword Style) and is an ancient kenjutsu style from the times before chakra developed to allow a single samurai to defeat numerous foes single-handedly. Practitioners of this style use a combination of near-superhuman speed and agility which we call Shinsoku (godspeed), battojutsu and an acquired, observation-based pseudo-clairvoyance in order to avoid the attacks of their opponents by the least possible margin and with the least possible effort in order to place themselves in the perfect position to strike in the very instant the opponent's strike misses and stresses two-step attacks in order to ensure that any and all who oppose it are thoroughly slain.

In the time since its creation very few have ever learned this style is it is passed on from master to apprentice. I have accepted you as my one apprentice and as such my successor. As such you will follow my every command without complaint; are we in agreement." Finished Seijuro.

"Hai." responded Kenshin.

"Very well, let us begin your training."

* * *

><p>The first fifteen minutes had passed by quickly and boredom had given him the urge to dig within his hip pouch to dig out his book. In all honesty he was quite interested in catching up on his reading as he hadn't had much time for it during his time in ANBU. Despite this he had risen in status quite high and had previously been not just a captain within the ANBU but one of the head captains of the entire division. Outside of the ANBU the man found himself with plenty of time to spare, and as he usually spent his downtime with his sensei's and his family, which had in all honesty become his own adoptive family and Kushina didn't really allow him to indulge in his favorite series while within her home.<p>

However thirty minutes into his book and he found himself wondering just what the three genin were actually up to. Despite the increase of training time the last lot of teams he'd gotten over the years had always rushed out to meet him with no planning whatsoever and he was once again surprised as this team didn't. His thoughts on the matter however were put on hold as he suddenly tilted his head to the side avoiding the shuriken aimed for the center of his face that soon found itself embedded within the tree trunk behind him. In an instant he was spinning blocking a kunai with the binder of his book to find a smirking Naruto holding the aforementioned weapon.

"Steel binding now huh." Mused the blond with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah well you killed the last one." Retorted Kakashi.

That was as far as the witty banter got as Naruto released his hold on the kunai and Kakashi leaned backwards dodging the kick the blond let loose by the barest of margins. Returning the book to his pouch he let loose a punch of his own that caught the blond in the face causing him to burst into smoke. Eyes widening in surprise it was only instinct that had Kakashi leaping away just barely avoiding the falling knee strike that had been aimed at his head. Flipping backwards from his missed sneak attack Naruto flung the dropped kunai that he recovered in the same motion as Kakashi dodged to the side Naruto lunged forward only to vanish and be replaced by a log Kakashi's eyes widened as he turned to find the blond crouched behind him with the kunai once more aiming to run him through only for Kakashi to be replaced with a log. Narrowing his eyes the blond grit his teeth before he burst into smoke as well.

Hidden within the trees and shrubbery that surrounded the training ground Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief as he held up his blooded hand to his view. Of course he'd never tell the boy but that last move had caught him completely by surprise and he had come very close to taking him down then and there. It was actually quite clever of him as no one ever used the replacement technique for an offensive move instead saving it for the defensive as it was designed for. Lost in his thoughts as he was he was not prepared for the barrage of kunai that impaled him from the side, at least Sasuke thought so before the man was once again replaced by a log. Gritting his teeth in frustration he moved to leap away from his now useless hiding spot only to come across Kakashi standing in front of him once again with his book out.

"Going somewhere?" questioned Kakashi without glancing up from the pages of his book.

Sasuke suddenly smirked and began flying through a familiar set of seals much to Kakashi's surprise before spewing a large fireball from his mouth. As the technique hit it created a large dust cloud and Sasuke smirked as he waited for the smoke and dust to clear. He didn't have to even wait that long as he was suddenly drug downwards until he found himself engulfed up to his head in the ground as Kakashi appeared in front of him.

Before Kakashi could even say a word he found himself blinking as everything was suddenly appearing upside down. Releasing his chakra in a pulse he immediately canceled the genjutsu that had engulfed him just in time to dodge a barrage of shuriken yet before he could do much else there was a large blast of wind and the shuriken were heading back towards him at an increased velocity. Eyes widened he had no choice but to use the replacement technique yet again causing both Naruto and Sakura to scowl as they leapt out from the shrubbery.

"Wow I guess Uchiha's really do grow like weeds." Said Naruto with a smirk.

"Shut up and get me out already." Retorted the Uchiha

"Hey I told you not to underestimate him." said Naruto as he went about helping the Uchiha out of the hole.

"He wasn't even taking us seriously." Grunted the Uchiha.

"Of course he wasn't. He's been a jounin longer than we've been alive, if he needed to take us seriously at that level he wouldn't deserve his rank." Remarked Naruto.

"So are you two boys done fooling around now?" came a new voice.

Glancing over the two could find Sakura emerging from the foliage that had hidden her. Of course Naruto had no doubt he could have found her quite easily what with the bright pink hair that she had, but he wouldn't speak out about it as his own blond hair could be just as detrimental to stealth. Still for someone who was the first shinobi in the history of her family Sakura was actually quite remarkable in that what she lacked in the physical sense she more than made up for with theoretical knowledge and chakra control which lead quite easily to her place at the top of their class when it came to potential medics deadlocked in first with Hyuga Hinata.

"Yeah, I have a decent estimate of my skill level now; what about you?" Answered Naruto before turning to the Uchiha who only 'Hn'd' in response.

'_Boys_' thought Sakura rolling her eyes at their attitudes.

'_I see so they used their separate attacks as a way to determine their individual skill levels as opposed to trying to grab a bell_.' Mused Kakashi from his hidden position nearby fazing away as the three settled down to start actual planning.

It was only thirty minutes later that the jounin perked up as he heard a faint whistling and he leapt away dodging a pair of shuriken as he landed he was confronted by Naruto and swiftly retrieved a pair of kunai which he used to skillfully parry the tonfa that Naruto was wielding against him. Naruto set a fast pace twirling the blunt yet still deadly efficient weapons with practiced ease as he kept to the offense pushing so that Kakashi couldn't strike him back. Finally Kakashi was able to create an opening and used it immediately nailing the blond with a kick to the chest that sent him sailing back. Before he could press into the blond he was forced to parry another set of shuriken as well as another fireball giving the blond the time he needed to recover.

As the jounin dodged around these obstacles Naruto and Sasuke joined up the two boys coming at him with a series of punches and kicks with an ease that Kakashi knew only came from training together for anyone in their business. Still Kakashi wasn't a jounin for no reason and as he dodged around a punch from Naruto managed to seize his arm before swinging him around and slamming him into Sasuke. As both hit the ground even more shuriken were launched at him buying the two the needed time to recover. As one the two boys looked up and began running through seals before taking in great mouthfuls of air causing their chests to expand and exhaling.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)"

"Futon: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)"

While Sasuke once again blew out a large fireball Naruto released a gust of wind that was just as strong. However instead of combining and increasing in power as they obviously meant for it to do the collaboration technique exploded in a massive blast of force sending the two boys flying while Kakashi only barely managed to pull off a Kawarimi at the last moment by pure instinct alone yet even still was sent flying himself. The explosion was loud and shook the entirety of the training ground before covering it in a massive cloud of blackish smoke. As he slowly recovered and picked himself up Kakashi could only widen his exposed eye at the destruction the two had left in their wake having completely demolished the portion of the grounds they had occupied leaving one large crater and demolished and burning trees to testify to the action. Quickly shaking himself from his stupor he quickly pierced his thumb and ran threw a quick chain of seals.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)" called the silver haired jounin.

As he slammed his hand to the ground there was a much smaller blast of smoke that erupted before him before it quickly cleared resembling a trio of dogs in front of him. In the center of the bunch was Urushi a dog with white and light-brown fur, along with long spiky tufts of hair on his head and a pair of eyes that displayed only anger more often than not. He wore a blue vest with the heno-heno-moheji seal in the center of the back, which was nothing more than a face drawn using hiragana characters and he had a Konoha hitae-tae around his neck. On the left was another male dog this one named Shiba who has light grey fur with a white underside and a black crest on his head reminiscent of a Mohawk with beady black eyes. Like Urushi he wore both the vest and hitae-tae; but in addition had bandages wrapped around both of his front legs. Finally on the right was Uhei who greatly resembles a greyhound and is colored brown with a white underside and snout; and though he also wore the vest and hitae-tae he also had bandages around his neck and head.

"Uhei I need you to head immediately to the hospital and let them know I need a medic team here on the double. Shiba get Minato-sensei here and Urushi go get Uchiha Fugaku, go now."

With the orders given the three hounds howled and took off to follow their directions at breakneck speeds. Looking around he could see that Sakura had already emerged and was in the process of trying to heal what she could of the young Uchiha who had landed hard on the ground. Naruto however he winced upon seeing embedded within a tree at a height that Sakura couldn't have reached at this point which led to him quickly racing up to retrieve him. It took him all of five minutes and he had barely gotten down and placed Naruto down on his back before the training grounds had an arrival of new occupants with two medic teams, his sensei and the Uchiha patriarch led by his three ninken.

"Kakashi what happened." Snapped Minato seeing the devastation surrounding the grounds and the state of two of his gennin one of them being his son.

"We were in the middle of their test when those two surprised me by trying a fire and wind collaboration technique, the results of which you can see" explained Kakashi.

While this was going on the two teams of medics had quickly run over to the two boys, one of the healers making a mental note about Sakura's basic healing which was fairly well done. The other group however had immediately gotten to work on Naruto and were surprised at the speed at which he started healing once they added their healing energies. In fact they hadn't really needed to do too much work due to the fact that it seemed that their energy was being guided by another force.

"What's the status?" questioned Minato as he approached the medics as they pulled away from his son nearly fifteen minutes later.

"Naruto-sama suffered some heavy internal injuries. Two of his ribs had broken from when he hit the tree and punctured his right lung, his left leg and right arm had been broken and he suffered some serious burns to his front side. It seems however his guest has proven beneficial for something as he appears to have a very high healing rate and our energy and work only made things work faster and more smoothly. The bones have already been set back into their proper places, his lung has been cleared of blood, and the burns are in the process of healing still. I'd say in a few days, a week tops he'll be good to go." Explained the lead medic getting a nod and a sigh of relief from his patients father.

"What about Sasuke?" questioned Fugaku as he turned to the other team.

"Sasuke-sama wasn't nearly as bad. While he suffered some burns his teammate there was already doing what she could to ease them which made healing them simple. He did however break his arm which we've corrected and he has a slight concussion. We'll keep him for observation for the time being but he'll be fine in due time." Stated the lead of that team getting a nod from the Uchiha head.

"Sakura good work out there." Said Kakashi as he approached the pink haired girl who looked up with tear filled eyes.

"The boys will be fine, and you actions actually helped Sasuke out according to the medics. Just head home and I'll let you know when we can start group training." Said Kakashi.

"You mean…" started Sakura before breaking off.

"You guys passed when you started working together, I just wanted to see just how well you could do so." Said Kakashi getting a tentative smile from the girl who worked at drying her eyes.

* * *

><p>When Naruto woke he did so with a groan and though he tried to move his back quickly protested the movement. The noise however had an immediate effect and his vision, which had previously been occupied only by a white ceiling was quickly taken up by the face of his mother worry reflecting in her eyes before he was engulfed in a hug by the woman who was talking a mile a minute. Looking over to his side at the sound of chuckling he caught sight of his father trying to stifle his mirth and failing though there was still a hint of worry in his eyes. His mother soon pulled back and he found a straw pressed to his lips while she held a cup of water out for him. As he sucked in the liquid he realized belatedly that his throat had actually been quite parched and the cool liquid felt heavenly sliding down his throat.<p>

"What happened?" questioned the blond after a moment.

"We were hoping you could tell us. According to Kakashi though you and Sasuke tried a combo technique and it backfired." Answered Minato

As he heard this, a series of images bombarded the blonde's mind and he quickly deduced that is exactly what had happened. He quickly told his parents what he could remember of their test and how it had ended for him. Minato nodded in understanding as he took everything in and his mind broke it all down for him, easily determining what had gone wrong. Contrarily to what most believed collaboration techniques were nowhere near as simple as people made them out to be. In truth they were incredibly complicated and required repeated practice on behalf of the users. In the case of elements with enhancement properties like fire and wind they were especially dangerous, as if done wrong the results would be unstable as it had been for Naruto and Sasuke. As genin Naruto and Sasuke lacked several of the fundamentals that would be needed for the technique to succeed such as chakra control which was actually chief among them.

Their conversation was put on hold however as Hikari entered the room and for an instant surprise entered her eyes upon seeing Naruto awake before it was replaced by her professionalism. In no time at all she had covered the distance between her and her patient and set about checking on his condition with her hands glowing green with energy. Finally seemingly satisfied she leaned back with a small smile on her face.

"As expected your healing quite quickly." Said Hikari regarding the blond with the smile her daughter had inherited.

"You expected?" questioned Naruto as his father helped him sit up and adjust the bed so that he didn't have to face the ceiling.

"You've been out for a while. In that time I was able to run a few of the test I was scheduled to do and discovered a few things. Most prominent among them is that you have a passive ability for regeneration so I expect you'll be ready to go in a few days' time." Explained Hikari.

"What else did you find?" questioned Kushina.

"The question should be what I didn't find. After the field medics told me about the density of his bones I ran a full board of test. While a lot of what we found was expected other things came as a bit of a surprise. As expected of an Uzumaki he possesses a denser chakra, however not only is his chakra denser than normal but more potent as well which led to his regeneration factor. The potency of his chakra also gave rise to his denser bone structure. However what truly astounded me was that he has somehow unlocked a dormant bloodline trait that was hidden in his genetics, what type it is I cannot say so we'll just have to wait and see if it manifests itself."

"So you're saying he could have some new Kekki Genkai." Said Kushina with a frown just picturing how the council would react to that news.

"No, I'm not that's what's amazing about it. With the Kyuubi's chakra flowing through him I had thought that might have been the case so I sent my findings to Tsunade-sama. She found however that it wasn't an emerging Kekki Genkai but a reemerging one; his Uzumaki heritage held the coding for a Kekki Genkai outside of what we knew of already. She theorized that the mixing of Hokage-sama's more potent chakra and your own denser one may have combined with the power of the Kyuubi to bring it back within him."

Throughout this entire time Minato had been silent merely listening as his mind flew at a mile a second breaking down everything he heard to come up with some kind of explanation. He knew that the Kyuubi would never do something like boosting the power laying dormant within his son, as if that was the case it would have done so with Kushina, Mito, or one of Mito's children and hadn't. In fact it was theorized that the Kyuubi had actually hindered the power of Mito's children who had not been able to grasp the power of the Mokuton like their father had. It was then however that he remembered Naruto telling him about the change that he felt within himself after grasping the Ryuken for the first time and with that thought in mind he went over to his son and forgetting the presence of the two women who stopped what they were doing to lift up the hospital issue shirt Naruto was wearing channeling his chakra to make the seal appear.

As he did this the two women stopped what they were doing and moved over to watch what the man was up to. Naruto simply raised an eyebrow but didn't comment, his father made an effort to check the stability of the seal regularly and with what they were speaking of he figured he would do this sooner or later. As the seal appeared it revealed the spiral shaped marking with the kanji script surrounding it that was the Hakke no Fuin Shiki (Eight Trigrams Sealing Style) that Minato had created by merging together two Shisho Fuin (Four symbol Style) seals. However what shocked him most however was the appearance of a pair of seals that were present at the openings that he'd purposely left within the Hakke no Fuin Shiki. Narrowing his eyes on the new pieces he allowed his chakra to flow within them to determine their purpose, for a moment the seals fought him before giving way and actually seeming to guide him.

"What is it?" questioned Kushina narrowing her own eyes at the new additions.

"From what I can tell these new additions are acting as guardians of the Kyuubi's seal. Their regulating the chakra that leaks out into Naruto's system and further purifying it completely replacing the ones I had set up, or rather taking over as the main purifiers. They've also strengthened the Sokubaku no Kihaku Fuin (Spirit Binding Seal) to a level I didn't think was possible." Said Minato removing his hand and allowing the seals to fade back into his skin.

"Dad I know I'm not that far into my Fuinjutsu studies but is that even possible?" questioned Naruto wide eyed.

"Before now I would have said no. But from what I've just read something has added properties to the seal. I'm going to get your grandfather to see if I missed anything." Answered Minato before flickering away.

* * *

><p>Hiko Seijuro looked up from what he was doing as he sensed a new presence arrive on his small bit of property. A moment later a figure garbed within the blue garments he'd come to associate with the shinobi of the Uzumaki clan. He actually raised an eyebrow as for the most part the shinobi left him alone allowing him to simply live in peace much to his liking. In fact before this person Kenshin had been the first visitor he'd had in some time and he only hoped this wouldn't become some kind of recurring thing.<p>

"Hiko-san forgive the intrusion but Kentaro-sama is calling for your apprentice, something has happened with his brother." Explained the ninja causing the samurai to stand to his feet.

Not long later found Namikaze-Uzumaki Kenshin rushing through the halls of his ancestral home towards his grandfather's office. The Ryuu Jyou (Castle of the Dragon) had been the clan's home for countless generations. While it had stood for so long the place had withstood invasions many times over the years. Two hundred years ago it had been destroyed by an attack and in the end had been rebuilt by a Lord whose descendant would go on to become the Daimyo of Hi no Kuni. While it had originally sat upon a mountain much of the land had been destroyed and sunk into the ocean's depths or drifted away to become other masses. Most recently the land had been decimated by a joint attack by Iwa and Kumo that thanks to its combined four jinchurriki had left the place a shadow of its former self with the world thinking them dead for some time. Kentaro as the new head however had them secretly doing missions for the Daimyo of Hi no Kuni and in gratitude he had helped them secretly rebuild.

The new castle much like the old one was a palace in appearance and at the same time a fortress, now even more dangerous than the previous one especially with all the seals that protected not just the castle but the country itself. That however was a thought for another time and as he entered his grandfather's office it was forcefully pushed away as he spotted his father standing within the room with the most serious expression he'd ever seen. There was no time for discussion however as without words he motioned both forwards towards him before all three vanished.

It didn't take long for Minato to reappear with Kentaro and Kenshin in tow and immediately upon seeing the condition of his brother the young boy rushed to his side with worry clear in his eyes. While Naruto was comforting the seven year old boy Kentaro was being caught up on the situation. After a few minutes of silent speaking between the three adults, Hikari having excused herself due to these being clan matters, crowded the bed while his mother flew threw a chain of seals and sealed the room. As Naruto's seal was once more revealed for inspection the characters began to glow with a bright white light before it flashed blinding everyone.

When the light cleared they all found themselves standing within a darkened area with the only light shining upon the group. Naruto himself was surprised in that he felt no pain when just moments ago he couldn't even sit up without feeling pain. The three adults however were otherwise occupied immediately drawing weapons and scoping their new surroundings.

"**Fear not mortals, no harm shall befall you in this place**." Came a deep, booming and yet soothing voice from the darkness that surrounded them.

"Who's there!" demanded Kushina protective motherly instincts kicking in as her hair began to float as her chakra rose to her call.

"**I apologize if you were frightened however it was necessary to speak with all of you.**" Came a new voice just as powerful as the last.

"Perhaps it would be better if we could see who we are speaking with." Said Minato diplomatically.

"Ah our apologies, it's been so long I fear we've forgotten that your eyes do not see as well as ours."

As this new voice spoke up the place was suddenly bathed in light forcing the family to blink only for all of their eyes to widen upon the sight that greeted them. Surrounding them were twelve majestic creatures that they all recognized as dragons. They all ranged in appearance as while some were serpentine while others possessed for legs and bat-like wings and others still possessed two legs and arms along with the bat-like wings.

"**It is good to see you awake this time Naruto-kun**." Said one of the dragons.

This one was one of the serpentine ones and was honestly massive with two sets of feet and a tail that took up more than three fourths of its length. This dragon possessed deep blue scales on top yet had a soft brown underbelly with the horns of a stag and sharp looking teeth. It had golden eyes, long flowing whiskers, a long snout, crescent shaped nostrils, and flowing blue hair on its cheeks.

"How do you know my name?" questioned the pre-teen shinobi with narrowed eyes.

"**We know everything about you, and through you we have learned the state of not just our clan but this world**." Replied a new dragon this one similar to the last except green in color.

"**Normally we would not interfere with the lives of mortals but these are desperate times**." Stated another with a softer tone.

This one was one of the bipedal dragons with red scales. Its head was topped by a pair of ivory horns it had yellow eyes, and a long tail with the end shaped like an arrowhead. However unlike the other dragons this one was female as revealed by her tone of voice.

"**We have been sleeping for quite some time you understand. Naruto it was you that woke us by coming into contact with the vessel, and as such it was only through you we could learn about the state of the world**." Continued the dragon.

"Nii-san I don't understand." Said Kenshin looking at his brother with confused eyes.

"**Allow me to explain then Kenshin-kun. Long ago we were all gravely wounded and sealed the remainder of our power and our spirits within a vessel. This vessel in turn was eventually sealed away until the day your brother discovered it not so long ago.**" Explained another this one also bipedal and a golden color.

"You're talking about Ryuken; so that would make you the Juuni no Ryuujin." Said Kentaro with wide eyes.

"**That is the title your clan has bestowed upon us, yes. As for why we have called you all here it is for a few reasons not the least of which is to tell you what we have done to your sons Kushina.**" Said the female causing the mother to narrow her eyes along with Minato.

"**Before we get in to that, I believe introductions are in order.**" Said another dragon.

The voice of this one was older than the others so far yet no less powerful than the others. It was serpentine and covered by golden scales and the places meant for hair had turned white in a show of age. His voice held a kind almost grandfatherly tone to it reminding the two boys of the Sandaime Hokage.

"**I am called Genrei. To my immediate right is my brother Porunga.**" Said Genrei, speaking of the massive blue serpentine dragon.

"**Beside him is Shenron**." The green serpentine one.

"**The next is Naga**." The red bipedal dragon.

"**Beside her sits Kara**."

Kara like Genrei was a golden dragon; however she moved around on all fours, she had a pair of horns on each side of her head and green eyes with slit pupils.

"**The next is Moka.**" Moka was also red but was serpentine in appearance.

"**Following her are Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg.**"

These three were all bipedal dragons Fandral being green with golden eyes, Hogun was an icy blue with grey eyes, and Volstagg being a dark orange with blue eyes and larger than the others by several feet.

"**Finally come Sif and Tatsu; the last is one whose name you must learn on your own.**" Finished the elder.

Sif is a light green dragon with red eyes and a serpentine appearance. Tatsu however was on all fours and was brown in color possessing a bored aura. The last of them couldn't really be made out rolled into a large ball and apparently sleeping.

"**Now then,** **when Naruto came into contact with Ryuken we were surprised to find ourselves within this place upon waking from our slumber. We discovered him passed out not too far from where you are standing now.**"

"**A deeper look within the boy told us that he was a member of the Dragon Lineage. However the power within his blood had dulled and he held only a fraction of what he was meant to. It was as we searched his general memory to learn of the world that we learned of all of you along with the state of the world. Because of this I tapped in to my connection with all those who carry our blood and found a problem. Someone of our blood in a misguided and misinformed manner is on the road to reviving the betrayer**."

As the elder dragon, Genrei Naruto reminded himself said this all of the others growled in distaste while every human felt their bodies go numb. For all of them had learned of the history of the clan and the story of the dragons and knew of only one being fit for that moniker. To learn that someone was actually going to revive such a creature caused them all no small amount of fear.

"**As you realize this is not something we are willing to allow. As such we need a champion once more, someone who could handle such a problem. It was then discovered about the beast held within young Naruto. The beast possesses a fragmented part of the traitor's energy and as such we have taken measures to reinforce the seal that was already implemented. We decided to use the beast to our advantage however and using the beast's power went about revitalizing the dragon blood that flows within his veins. His bones were reinforced, his chakra coils slowly enlarged allowing him to control his energy easier and we've taken his natural healing factor and boosted it back up to regeneration.**" Explained the elder answering the questions that the young genin's parents held.

"**Doing this however also bore unexpected fruit. As I'm sure you are aware we have not been around during the age of chakra. The presence of his chakra reserves caused the emergence of a dormant part of our powers, part we thought had failed to be inherited. Instead it appears that before now the criteria for its emergence hadn't been met**." Said the dragon.

"Are you talking about the Kekki Genkai we found out about?" questioned Minato.

"**Indeed it is what you now term a bloodline limit. Specifically speaking it is what you call a doujutsu, though based on what we learned of others from young Naruto's memories we had to do a bit of tweaking.**" Explained the eldest dragon.

"What exactly does it do?" questioned Naruto.

"**As it is a creation of my own design, I shall explain.**" Came the voice of Tatsu, his bored aura having not diminished in the slightest.

"**Initially the eyes merely gave the user the ability to see at a greater distance. I have since improved this by a large amount and I call it Remote Viewing. I have also given it a few new abilities among them is the ability to see chakra. The user will be able to see how both people and objects relate to them as it will glow with a certain color chakra aura. Red indicates an enemy, blue an ally, and gold indicates targets or persons and objects of interest. That is the first level, and with each level gained abilities will grow stronger and new ones may appear. You will have to find out the rest on your own time**." Finished Tatsu.

"Is it already awakened?" questioned Minato.

"**No, both Naruto and Kenshin must awaken it themselves as will any other children you have. Following these two however all Uzumaki born children will have the ability to awaken the eyes.**" Explained Tatsu.

"**While we're on the subject I have taken the opportunity of adjusting Kenshin's Uzumaki blood to match Naruto's. As of now the only difference between them is that Naruto carries the fox**." Explained Sif finally speaking up.

"You did all that while we were talking?" questioned Kushina.

"**Kenshin's DNA is no different than Naruto's. In truth they are nearly identical in every way with just cosmetic changes doing a few things for him is simple**." Said Sif with a shrug.

"While that is all interesting we came to find out what happened with the seal." Reminded Minato.

"**We didn't do much in regards to that. We noticed the gaps you left and figured the fox would use it to its own advantage eventually so we added buffers. The buffers are a pair of dragon statues that will absorb any of the Kyubi's chakra that Naruto doesn't need or ask for, it will then convert it into human chakra to add to his own chakra stores. This will in effect slow the rate of the seals degradation.**" Explained Shenron.

"**Now that all has been explained we must rest once more. We are not as powerful as we once were and this meeting is beginning to take its toll on me.**" Said Genrei.

Just after he said this his tail waved and the family of humans faded away leaving the dragons to fall into slumber once more.

AN: Well that's it chapters over. I was initially going to make the chapter longer but decided this was a good place to stop for now. So let me know what you think about the chapter with lots and lots of reviews. Until next time LATER.


	6. Chapter 6

Chronicles of the Dragon Ninja

Chapter 6: A New Mission

AN: Hello all, it's been a while. Here is another Christmas present for you guys, to go along with the update to Devil. Anyway I have a lot of ideas in my head right now so don't be surprised to see new stories popping up from me in the future. That said here is the chapter.

Start Now:

The Ryuu Jyou was a massive construct, a palace built in the traditional Japanese style; the home of the Uzumaki clan was a place fit for kings. However it was also a fortress with plenty of defenses which now included fuinjutsu of such high level it could withstand the bijuu. Naruto having grown up there wandered the halls with familiarity; however unlike when he was a child and in training he wore a rather stylish grey hakuma along with a dark blue kimono top underneath which was a white one. At his side the Ryuken rested calmly within its sheath yet still drew the eyes of those he passed. Despite the fact that he had long since healed from the misfired jutsu he had still spent the past three weeks sequestered within the walls of the castle. With Sasuke still on the injured list his team was officially shelved and as such all three genin had been reined in by their respective clans to learn about the responsibilities that they would eventually inherit.

With his mother having given up her right to claim leadership Naruto had been named as heir apparent of the Uzumaki clan. With this seemingly god given time off Kentaro had thought now would be the perfect time to introduce him to his duties. The paperwork had been a major annoyance for the first hour and a half before he had gotten fed up and summoned half a dozen clones to help him go through it. The look on his grandfather's face at his answer to the bane of all leaders had been well worth the annoyance. As he was barred from any high level physical training he had put his focus into his fuinjutsu studies astonishing many of his clan members with just how quickly he blew through the intermediate level seal work.

He had also delved into learning the next level of his chosen taijutsu style slowly going through the katas so that they would become familiar to him. At the moment he was taking a break from his work in order to clear his mind of its burdens. He had been tasked with going over all of the domestic reports of the clan for the last month. He had sorted everything by weeks and summoned a trio of clones to help him go through it quicker. He had gone through the finances juggling people's wants with what was truly needed. In an effort to build their numbers back up to what they felt was suitable the number of children per family had been lifted for the time being. He had been part of the first surge and was one of only twelve. Kenshin however had been part of a surge of one hundred the highest they had recorded. Because of this the hospitals maternity ward was always the first priority.

Under Tsunade's direction Uzushio's hospital and medics were the most renowned in the world even if they were keeping themselves in seclusion still. Oh the world at large knew they were still around but many believed they were a shell of their former selves. However for a clan that boasted 3000 as a small number they were still a force to be recognized. In truth many of the older members of the clan regarded the fact that the village had been attacked as an eye opener. As they hadn't involved themselves in the shinobi or clan wars their numbers had been allowed to flourish and not even five percent of that number had been active shinobi. That however was no longer the case and many were itching to show the world just who they were dealing with.

As such the gear for their shinobi was the next important thing to deal with. This was done by bringing in a clan of blacksmiths in the Muramasa clan who had been just as reclusive as the Uzumaki. Income came in mostly through exporting goods as Uzu no Kuni was filled with a wealth of resources allowing them to be entirely self-sustaining. Using connections that had been gained while the clan had been scattered they had set up trade deals in several major ports throughout the Elemental Nations.

His thoughts on the matter were cut off as he came upon the sight of a teen wearing a dull grey kimono/hakama combination along with a pair of glasses. He appeared to be about 17 maybe 18 years old and stood at a height of 5'9. Most girls that Naruto knew described him as being very handsome, with a long, youthful face and short brown hair cut neatly in back but with a distinctive fringe of permed bangs falling in front of his face and parted in the center though he was oddly twitching noticeably as he approached. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the continuous twitching but figured the man had simply ingested too much of that coffee stuff that all the adults were drinking now. He went by the name of Takato, an adopted member of the clan having been found as a child and taken in by an Uzumaki who'd been hiding out in the land of Honey. As he moved to past the man fell into step beside him successfully brining a halt to much of his twitching.

"Naruto-sama a missive has arrived from your father. He will be coming to retrieve you in a few minutes." Stated Takato

"So soon, normally he'd give more of a warning." Stated the blond.

"He did, you weren't in your office." Stated the man

Naruto nodded his understanding but did not volunteer where he had wandered off to. In truth he had left the castle entirely in order to have a look in on his brothers training with the legendary swordsmen that he had managed to get himself apprenticed to. From what he had seen the boy was struggling through what appeared to be chores but he wasn't complaining so Naruto was reserving judgment on the matter. Still that was beside the point as he was still in the midst of a conversation.

"I see, then I will have to wrap up all matters quickly. I'd hate to burden you with an extra workload." Stated the blonde.

"Speaking of work I have the report on that matter you wanted us to look into." Stated Takato.

"Good I'll look it over later and decide where to go from there. Is there anything else?" questioned the boy.

"A number of betrothal proposals have come in from many of the lords. I've already sent out the usual response." Said Takato.

Naruto gave him a thankful look. Not that he wasn't flattered by the requests but not only was he not interested at the moment but he would not take a wife who did not happen to meet his standards. Aside from that he already had someone in mind, though his feelings were nowhere near that type of level at this point.

"Tsunade-sama has sent you a package for graduating."

Naruto nodded his understanding, every year Tsunade left and spent three months travelling with her apprentice Shizune before the two would return. They had left a few weeks before his graduation so at this point they'd only been gone for a little over a month.

"We've also located a boy who possesses trace amounts of Kyuubi's chakra." Said Takato getting the blond to actually stop and face him.

"Retrieve this boy and inform our top sealers we'll be transferring that chakra into my seal." Said the Uzumaki heir

"That may be a problem as he is staying within the Fire Temple."

"Approach the Fire Daimyo first then and explain to him the situation. After which you will escort the boy back here for the duration of the transfer after which he will be escorted back to the temple."

"Very well I will make haste and call for you upon my return." Said Takato.

With that the elder teen smiled down at the younger before turning and taking his leave. Naruto knew he would first report to his grandfather and inform him of the situation who would probably add something onto the orders before giving the go ahead.

"Chiyome-sensei, would you mind escorting Takato?"

At his question a woman appeared leaning casually on the left wall just ahead of him. She stood at the height of 5'7 and wore a pair of deep dark red tights for pants with a matching long sleeved shirt. Metal guards covered both her forearms and shins and her long red hair was held in a tail that reached past her waist. The woman gave him a single nod before vanishing in a cloud of smoke. As she left Naruto did likewise continuing in his walk through the castle until finally he entered a rather large room which was his bedroom. Changing out of his clothes he quickly stepped into a pair of dark blue pants and put on a long sleeved mesh shirt. Over this he added a sleeveless V-neck shirt of the same deep blue coloring as his pants.

Placing on a long scarf around his neck he used it to secure the sheathed blade on his back. Finally he reached down onto his bedside table and grabbed his hitae-tae and secured it to its place over his forehead. As he left his room he nearly ran head first into his father's chest. After their small reunion the duo were greeted by a clone of the younger blonde which handed the original a scroll which he quickly slipped away before dispelling the clone. Before he could even fully sort the memories of the clone Minato placed his hand on his sons shoulder before they vanished the familiar feeling of travelling through time/space overcoming them.

When they appeared within the Hokage's office Naruto was greeted to the sight of his team standing around the room while the Sandaime was painting by the window. Looking upon his teammates he could see that both of them had changed their appearance somewhat, Sakura wore a black version of her dress with a red trim along the sides and her hair cut down to her shoulders. Sasuke appeared mostly the same with the exception that he had swapped out his shorts for pants of the same color. His attention was pulled however to his father as he sat down behind the desk and all attention went to him.

"Now that everyone is here I will get straight to the point. As of this morning team seven has been pulled off the shelf and cleared for active duty. Normally due to the situation I would suspend you all from missions so that you could focus on your training and bring your teamwork up to a decent level. However you three for some reason after your first few drills always seemed to work well together. According to Iruka's notes any time he paired you all together you all seemed to mesh well even after long breaks from the academy or after you spent time working with others. The three of you over your tenure in the academy developed a cohesiveness only surpassed by team ten. Aside from that each of you demonstrate a range of skills unlike the other two teams. Combined the three of you form a team that is very rare and coveted, a type of team that we would be remiss to ignore." Finished Minato

"You're talking about first response." Said Naruto after but a moment.

"Yes." Stated Minato.

"Um, Hokage-sama what exactly is that, I've never heard it mentioned at the academy." Stated Sakura nervously.

"For good reason. Teams mainly consist of tracking, capture or assault types. A first response team has all of these facets rolled into one. However there is also a central figure needed for a first response team that is generally unavailable, a medic nin." Explained Minato.

"Medic's take much time and effort to train and as such are generally unavailable to fit into your standard teams, much less into gennin teams." Stated Hiruzen joining the conversation and subsequently bringing attention to himself.

"Back during the war Tsunade proposed a program that would make it so that all the teams on the active roster would eventually have a medic on the team. Unfortunately it would take time and manpower to implement, time and manpower that we just didn't have to spare. Over the last few years we have taken steps to implement that program making it a part of the curriculum when the academy was restructured." Finished the Sandaime before taking his pipe and lighting it with a quick application of fire chakra.

"Now that is just the basic idea. Kakashi can explain everything in greater detail." Said Minato clearly ending the conversation.

* * *

><p>Not long later found team seven as they walked through the village before ending up within the training ground where they'd had their test. Once there Kakashi motioned the three to take a seat against the training post.<p>

"Alright before we get to anything else why don't you three tell me what you've been up to in our time apart." Stated Kakashi motioning to Sakura to start.

"Um I've been studying so that I could get my certification as a field medic."

Kakashi nodded in understanding, for a bookworm like Sakura being a medic was the perfect way to go as it gave her an excuse to read a lot which she loved to do. Plus it took advantage of her chakra control which as her chakra pool grew and with work would remain very high.

"Genjutsu." Stated Sasuke

Once again Kakashi understood as genjutsu was something he could focus on without aggravating his injuries. He would become dangerous with the ability once his Sharingan manifested and he could use them just by making eye contact. It was also good because he knew that genjutsu was the one area where Naruto was absolutely hopeless. Genjutsu were chakra sensitive constructs and Naruto's chakra pool was so large that he couldn't really use such low amounts at the moment.

"Fuinjutsu."

At that Kakashi had to withhold a giddy laugh. While with his blond hair and blue eyes he may not look it Naruto was an Uzumaki to his core and had taken to fuinjutsu like only an Uzumaki could. While he normally didn't have time to do so he could create some beauties if given enough time or he was just bored. He had used plenty of seals during his time pranking during the academy, one had even held people suspended in the air after they had triggered it. He'd heard a rumor that he'd made a desk attack a teacher, Mozuchi, Motachi or whatever his name was. One guy who had been mean to Kenshin had become a living magnet as every piece of metal that wasn't bolted down had decided to attack him. The fact that the man had been a jounin had only made it funny as no one had made a single move to help him. After that though his parents had decided that he had a bit too much free time on his hands and his pranks had come to nearly a complete halt.

"Well I'm glad all of you found some way to keep yourselves busy while we had our little break." Stated Kakashi causing the three to deadpan as it hadn't really been a vacation.

"Now as you were informed our team is a first response team. What this means is that our team will be the first to be called on in any given situation, especially emergencies. Because of this a first response team needs to be able to perform the duties of all other teams. However before we get into that any further we'll start with your first exercise." Stated Kakashi causing all three to look up expectantly.

"Run."

As Kakashi said this three huge dogs appeared from out of the foliage surrounding the team. Unlike Kakashi's personal summons that he spent most of his time with these were pit bulls that even on all fours stood at four feet in height. The dogs were covered in either black, brown and one even had white and grey fur but all of them had a mouth full of salivating choppers that they were staring them down with. Sakura took a small step back and immediately the dogs shot towards them and the three gennin took off on a dime. Watching them go Kakashi found he was quite pleased with himself as he sat down to relax atop one of the post orange book in hand, after all the kids got some training and he got to catch up on his reading, life was good.

* * *

><p>Quite some time later found the trio of gennin panting and covered in sweat as they all lied on the ground. Kakashi watched them doing his best to hide his mirth at finally seeing Naruto in such a position. Of course the blond had run his poor ninken ragged and they had been exhausted before Pakkun had appeared out of nowhere and pounced on the blonde's face bringing an end to their little game. Despite this however his ninken had appeared quite pleased as it had been some time since they'd been able to actually enjoy a chase and as such been forced to actually work for a victory. Sasuke and Sakura hadn't given them anywhere near as much trouble, Sakura had lasted all of twenty-five minutes before exhaustion had overtaken her and Sasuke had lasted only twenty more. Still he had forced them to keep going or rather his ninken had after the first one had tried to take a bite out of Sakura when she had thought that she was safe.<p>

"Alright good work guys I've got a decent estimate of both your speed and stamina now." Stated Kakashi as he stood over the exhausted gennin.

"As it stands right now Sasuke is the fastest among you while Naruto holds the most stamina. I'll be working with all of you to increase these levels over the next few months. However before we get to that and since your all tired now let's move on to our next exercise." Stated the jounin pleased when the kids all focused up at him.

"As you all should know by now chakra control is a skill necessary for success in the ninja world. The Leaf Concentration exercise you learned in the academy is only the first step in learning to control ones chakra. What you will all be learning now is called the Tree Climbing exercise, it is the next level up from leaf concentration and will teach you how to better focus your chakra."

As he said this Kakashi withdrew a trio of kunai and tossed them to the ground one before each of the three gennin, each of whom looked up at him in confusion. At their looks Kakashi thought back to when he himself had first learned the exercise and wondered if he had actually had that same stupefied and confused look on his face.

"In order to complete this exercise you must channel a certain amount of charka to your feet and use it to walk up to the very top of the three or at least as far as you can safely go up before it thins out too much. You will use those kunai to mark your progress and we will devote training time every day to this exercise until all of you can effectively reach the top of your respective trees. As a hint you will need to find an amount of chakra which will enable your feet to adhere to the surface of the tree and maintain your hold on that amount. Too much chakra and you will be blown off and two little and you will slip and fall, so let's get started."

Though tired from the previous run the three gennin climbed to their feet each of them grabbing a kunai and turning to the thicket trees that the dogs had chased them into. Naruto having the most energy was the first to give it a try summoning his chakra and after focusing it to his feet took off towards a tree at a run going up its surface about four steps before he was suddenly blasted away from the tree. Flipping in mid-air he managed to land on his feet though still was forced to skid back a couple of inches. Seeing this both Sasuke and Sakura grabbed a kunai and set about picking their own tree to give it a shot, for Sasuke the results were similar though he made it about another two steps before he was blasted off and Sakura made it nearly to the first branch before her chakra gave out however instead of falling she leapt and grabbed hold of the branch before pulling herself up using it to rest.

Kakashi nodded to himself as he had expected results such as these, Naruto's chakra capacity was huge and had already surpassed his own, and Sasuke had a capacity that outstripped what rookie gennin usually had and as such it was no surprise they had been thrown from their trees. Sakura was a bit of a surprise, not in that she'd made it to a branch as he'd expected as much, however what was surprising was that she'd actually managed to pull herself onto it after her chakra gave out. From her records one would have just expected her to simply slide down as she wasn't supposed to have the strength to pull herself up as tired as she was. The fact that she had managed to do so however had pleasantly surprised the jounin with her level of strength. As they kept up the practice the jounin leapt up to a branch himself and pulled out his book, he had a bit of time to read a few chapters before he had to do anything.

* * *

><p>Several hours later an exhausted Naruto found himself stumbling into his home nearly collapsing almost as soon as he made it through the threshold if not for his mother catching him. As she supported her son and brought him into a room to rest she couldn't help but wonder what type of training had reduced him to such a state. She knew for a fact that her son's energy level was off the charts and he recovered from exhaustion quickly. Thankfully she had taken the day off from the office having realized her house needed cleaning and as such at this point had no problem settling him down on the couch which she'd already covered with a sheet, though she did remove his shoes after settling him down; after all she'd just cleaned the carpet and there was no way she was letting it get messed up right after she finished.<p>

Of course Naruto had a reason to be exhausted she found after she discovered just how low his chakra was, as it had been brought down to a gennin's level which meant he'd been put through quite a lot during the day. Channeling some of her own chakra through her hands into his seal she found that already the Kyuubi's chakra was at work on trying to replenish his energy stores and he only needed a bit of rest to recover.

"So I take it your first training day was productive." Stated Kushina knowing her son was still awake.

"I have never been this tired in my life." Stated the blond smiling despite his state of exhaustion.

"Well think you can handle learning one more thing today?" questioned Kushina causing her son to turn a questioning look her way.

"We haven't been completely honest with you in regards to our bloodline. There are certain things that we keep only to members of the clan that are shinobi and now that you are I can straighten a few things out." Informed Kushina.

Truth be told Naruto wasn't surprised. He knew that most shinobi clans kept information classified to only shinobi members of the clan mostly due to the fact that civilians tended to talk and some things were not meant to be common knowledge. The vast majority of what he knew was stuff that was pretty much common knowledge within the world at large though some of it was written-off as hearsay something that they put no effort in stopping. Seeing her son's acceptance Kushina was pleased to see he was focused upon her so that she would not have to repeat herself.

"As you know our chakra is very potent, more potent than any other clan can boast giving us superior physical ability over other ninja and boosting our life force. The truth of the matter is that this is due to the fact that our chakra naturally shifts towards Yang chakra. It is said that the usage of Onmyoton allows one to make fantasies come to life, for instance if someone wanted to say bind one of the bijuu…" said Kushina purposely leaving her sentence open and was pleased to see her son's eyes widen in realization.

"Your chakra chains!" exclaimed the blond actually sitting up due to his surprise.

"Yes contrary to popular belief, I did not seal any chains in my body. The truth is that by manipulating my chakra I'm able to create the chains and bring them to life in the real world." Explained the woman.

"Are you going to teach me that?" questioned the blond causing Kushina to laugh.

"Sorry, you're far too early in your training to try something like that. Aside from that everyone in our clan has a different ability that they naturally manifest. Your grandfather can create chakra swords and I make chains, I have no idea what you will actually be able to do." Informed Kushina causing Naruto to frown.

"Well Kenshin better not be able to make chains. He was lucky enough to get your hair he can't have the chains too." Said the blond causing his mother to laugh before pulling him into a hug.

* * *

><p>For the next three months the members of team seven were focused on a set training schedule and it was no strange thing to find the three stumbling into their homes dead tired. Despite this none of them were complaining as they were learning much under the guidance of Kakashi. Unlike most jounin instructors Kakashi had once been an ANBU captain and as such had a higher expectation and acceptance level for his students. Because of this he pushed his students often past what others would consider their limits were, however the results showed themselves well. By the end of the third week not only could all of his students climb to the top of a tree in one go but if needed to they could effectively fight on the surface of the trees and the same could be said for being on top of water. Of course Kakashi had to make it harder on him as he could already do the exercise so he had to not only climb the tree but do so while sticking a leaf to his forehead, and following this both his hands.<p>

After working on their chakra control he had wanted them to learn their elemental affinities. Sasuke had discovered duel elements of lightning and fire, and Sakura had earth. As an Uchiha, Sasuke's fire affinity wasn't actually surprising unlike his lightning likewise neither and he was simply surprised that Sakura even had an affinity as most often when dealing with first generation shinobi like Sakura they had to develop an affinity over time. However despite the fact that they'd tested their affinities they hadn't actually taught them any ninjutsu and as such each of them had taken to that particular skillset in their own time.

Naruto himself hadn't yet taken the test for his affinities. While it would be good to know them he'd actually forgotten about it due to some of the other training he had been doing. Over the time that had passed he and his mother had been working to discover just what it was that he would be able to create with his chakra. While Kakashi could have administered the test himself he wanted to focus on his strength and speed. The fact of the matter was that he was primarily a close range combatant and he didn't at this point put much stock in ninjutsu, whereas Sasuke actually preferred using jutsu.

As such the only one who actively got jutsu from Kakashi was Sakura and the jounin's reasoning was actually quite simple and understandable. Naruto and Sasuke both had clans and parents more than willing to help them with that portion of their shinobi skills and libraries to take advantage of. Sakura wasn't the same as she came from a purely civilian background as such Sakura now had a single Doton ninjutsu that she was learning, that being D-ranked the Doton: Shinju Zanshu no jutsu (Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique) other than that however she had taken and passed her exams with high scores earning her certification as a field medic.

Sasuke had unsurprisingly begun carrying around a sword, a chokuto to be exact. Though known mostly for their ninjutsu prowess the Uchiha clan was not unfamiliar with the art of the sword and their Sharingan only helped with matters. Though he had yet to activate the fabled doujutsu his mother had begun teaching him about kenjutsu during his last year in the academy and as a graduation present had gifted him with the blade. It had a white scabbard with black stripe running down the middle continuing up to the handle only broken by the Uchiha crest before the line continued. The blade itself was two tone black and silver and unlike a katana did not possess a curve. Overall the sword was 40.25 inches with 27 inches being taken by the handle. Of course just having the sword wasn't enough instead the Uchiha Matriarch had gotten it custom made for Sasuke by Muramasa Tenchi who had crafted the blade with both chakra conducting metal but had even gone so far as to use special wood for the handle to make it not only handle stress better but allow for smother transition of chakra into the blade.

However Sasuke was nowhere near Naruto's level when it came to kenjutsu. Kakashi had the two of them spar a few times and the end results were never pretty for the Uchiha as Naruto would eventually put him in a position that would leave him either crippled or killed if he had actually followed through with the strikes. Despite that downside the Uchiha was improving at a rapid rate that quite frankly surpassed anything that the jounin had ever seen. Of course that was to be expected, people who trained with Naruto tended to improve at rather rapid rates.

Then there was Naruto himself who like his teammates was also improving at an impressive rate. With the help of Kakashi's ninken his skill with tracking had risen greatly as they had taught him how to track by scent. They had learned that when channeling chakra Naruto's senses actually improved to surpass the Inuzuka clans. His training with Kakashi however was to get him more used to the teamwork aspect as Naruto as good as he was worked by himself for the most part. Training in Uzu had taught him a variety of skills but had never put much focus on the teamwork aspect of the job. The good news however was that Naruto was open to working with others as he'd always known he would eventually have to and the drills in the academy had taught him that there would be others that could cover his weaknesses.

Other than that he had branched out and learned a few wind techniques along with a few water techniques. However his primary focus was on fuinjutsu and that was what took up most of his time even when not with his team. No one, not even his mother or brother knew exactly what it was he was working on but whatever it was had managed to capture his attention to the point that he was completely focused on fuinjutsu. It was to the point that many thought he was trying to figure out the Hiraishin but those close to him knew better than to follow such a thought. Those thoughts were brought to a halt as his office door was opened and Naruto walked in a giddy grin on his face causing Minato to close the folder that he had been reading.

"I need you to see this."

Raising an eyebrow as his son handed him a scroll and seeing the excited and hopeful look in his eyes the Yondaime did as asked. Unrolling the scroll he almost immediately figured out it was a fuinjutsu formula, or rather it was encoded to appear as a fuinjutsu formula. It had been quite a while since the last time he'd read something written in the language of seals, something which only the Uzumaki clan, himself and his sensei Jiraiya could read to his knowledge. Now even more interested he delved in his eyes pausing as it regarded a particular note only for him to double back and reread it. As he finally finished he turned to regard his son who was sitting upon the edge of his seat.

"Do you know what this means?" questioned Minato.

"That I've finally found a training partner that can keep up with me." Said Naruto grinning.

"This is much more than that. Naruto what you've done here is something that every leader of every shinobi village has been trying to do for ages, you've found a permanent solution to rid me of paperwork." Said the Hokage with anime tears running down his face

"Isn't that what you've been using the shadow clones for?" questioned the younger blond.

"Sparingly. Despite the fact they help with the workload the cost of maintaining the clones is quite high so it only really gives me about an hour before I have to get back here. If I had the reserves of an Uzumaki that might be different but at the moment using them to complete my job for me is actually impossible." Explained Minato dejectedly before life came back to his eyes.

"If this works correctly then you've just came up with a way to create not only a more durable, but a self-sustaining clone and even get memory transference upon dispelling it." Said Minato eyeing the seals designed for the technique.

Of course the seals themselves were nothing more than lines with no power to them whatsoever due to the fact that the boy had used a pencil as he went about its designs but once active and with a few tweaks here and there the Yondaime was sure that this could actually be doable. Reading further along he found something else that made him raise a rather curious eyebrow at this new discovery that actually had nothing to do with fuinjutsu he found himself looking upon something that he would have to see produced soon and placed into the equipment stashes of the ANBU. Reading further still he paused and raised an eyebrow before turning to his son with a pair of amused blue eyes.

"You've been watching those Disney movies again haven't you?" questioned the man causing Naruto to smirk.

"Keep reading."

Doing as asked the man looked back into the scroll soon enough however amusement melted away and the man was soon reading through the notes intently as he went over everything that was penciled in before him. Reading everything over about this last subject the man found he was actually impressed, not only was it well thought out and put together it was explained in detail and the man had to admit it would be cool.

"Alright you've impressed me. Your mother and I will be going over this clone technique you've come up with later tonight as while it's good a few tweaks are needed to make it workable I think. This little toy you thought of will be going to Tenchi for mass production for use with the ANBU and Oinin. Since you designed it yourself sixty percent of the proceeds for these will go to your account while the remaining forty would go to Tenchi for making and distribution." Said Minato getting a nod from his son before handing him a slip of paper and getting a confused tilt of the head from the boy.

"Channel some chakra into that for me." Stated the man.

Shrugging Naruto did as told and after a few moments was surprised as the paper almost immediately reacted with the paper being split in half before. However as if that wasn't enough one half crumbled into dirt upon hitting the floor while the other Naruto picked up revealing it had become a soggy mess as if water had been spilt on it. Seeing the reaction Minato actually blinked in shock before sitting back in his seat.

"Okay what was that?" questioned Naruto breaking his father from his stupor.

"Well as you know everyone there are five basic elements that shinobi can summon by use of chakra, and each person is born with a particular element that they lean more favorably towards. What you just did was take a test which shows a person's elemental affinity. In your case it showed three, the first is wind which the paper showed when it split in half. It also shows you have strong secondary affinities for both Earth and Water, which is incredible as its unheard of for someone your age to possess so many elemental affinities and they not be part of a Kekki Genkai." Informed the Yondaime surprising his son.

Standing from his seat the man moved over to the coatrack behind his desk removing a scroll from one of the pouches of his jounin vest. Unrolling it he made quick work of biting his thumb and running the bleeding digit along a select portion of the scroll. There was the customary plume of smoke which quickly cleared, blown out the open window to reveal another scroll sitting upon the man's desk. Picking up the unsealed scroll he fingered it for a few moments before tossing it to Naruto who caught it reflexively.

"Within that scroll are instructions to begin the first step to mastering your elemental affinities. As you and I share the same affinity for wind, that is one I can help you with. For water I'm sure your mother would be more than willing and Earth I'm pretty sure you can get Sarutobi-sensei to give you a few tips. Since wind is your primary however that's the one I want you to focus on first. Wind is known as the rarest of the basic chakra natures especially here in Konoha. As of now there are three shinobi within the entire village who possess that specific affinity they are myself, Sarutobi Asuma and finally you. Wind is also known as one of the greatest offensive affinities one can have and is also most used for short to mid-ranged combat. It will be especially helpful for you as wind chakra enhances the cutting power of bladed weapons." Said Minato causing his son to only want to learn it more.

Before either of them could speak anymore however both blonds stopped and looked over as the door was suddenly opened and a chuunin messenger rushed in. Raising a curious eyebrow the Yondaime read over the note he was presented with before quickly creating his own and handing it over dismissing the chuunin.

"Neko." Called the man.

Not a moment later the form of a Neko masked ANBU member appeared standing at attention in front of the desk. Looking her over quickly Naruto knew exactly who she was the moment he spotted her purple hair, as that was a rather rare coloration but he said nothing about it.

"Have Kakashi retrieve his students and get over here within the next fifteen minutes."

"Hai Hokage-sama." Stated Neko before leaping out the window to do as commanded.

"You know we really need to come up with something to better disguise our ANBU. The hair gave away that was Yugao." Stated the teen after a few moments.

"Ah I knew I forgot something!" said the man before rummaging in his desk.

This was the scene Kakashi and the rest of team seven arrived to as they entered the room. Naruto sitting in a chair smirking while the Yondaime himself was digging through the desk a pile of stuff growing steadily behind him. Finally he apparently found what he was looking for as he came up holding a scroll up almost victoriously. Looking over just its outward appearance everyone could tell it was rather old due to the large amount of dust that had collected over it. However seeing as the room was now full with the people he'd summoned the man placed the scroll on his desk and faced them all with serious eyes.

"Kakashi is your team ready?" questioned the Yondaime.

Kakashi was silent for several long moments as he thought over the man's words before nodding once decisively.

"Very well then I have a mission for you. Early this morning I sent Team Eight led by Yuhi Kurenai on what was believed to be a routine C-rank guard detail for a client in Nami no Kuni. However this morning she sent word requesting for back-up after her team was attacked by a pair of low level nuke-nin that were after their client." Explained the man before stopping as Naruto had a look of shock on his face.

"Something wrong?" questioned the Yondaime.

"Yea one of the reports I went over this morning was dealing with our shipping in Nami no Kuni or rather the lack of shipping from there in the last few weeks as the place has suddenly locked down. I was going to have some people look into it but this way I can look into things myself." Stated Naruto frowning.

"So I take it you want us to link up with Kurenai's team and provide back-up." Stated Kakashi breaking the silence.

There was a time when such a thing would have been unthinkable, sending in a gennin team to handle such a mission. However with the success of the training program the academy now had they were now putting up with rookie gennin with the ability of chuunin in other villages. According to the report he'd received from Kurenai her team had rather easily dispatched the attackers and she was simply waiting for word on whether or not she should continue the mission or return to the village. Aside from that he knew this group was quite capable over the last few weeks he had given them a few missions to clear out small bandit camps and each mission had been accomplished flawlessly without any interference on Kakashi's behalf. According to Tazuna, this Gato character had many such bandits working under him so sending a team with experience against such foes would help. There was also a chance that the mission could experience problems from jounin and while he had faith in Kurenai she was the one who asked and sending this team would allow him to send Kakashi, one of the village's top shinobi.

"Correct. Furthermore once you arrive in Nami I want you to find out all you can about why Nami has suddenly gone dark. Once that is done I'll leave it to your discretion how to proceed." Stated Minato getting a nod from Kakashi.

"Dismissed."

In the next instant as a unit all four were leaving the room Kakashi lingering only a few moments longer sharing a look with his sensei before following after. As they cleared the entrance of the administrative building Kakashi gave the trio of thirty minutes to pack anything they needed and meet at the village gates before dismissing the group. Naruto wasted no time taking to the rooftops and moving at a brisk pace to get home. Because it was technically his teams day off he hadn't had any of his gear on his person and had really only rushed out so that he could show his dad what he'd come up with. It didn't take him long to cover the distance and reach his home not bothering with the door he leapt and ran up the wall leaping into the bedroom window he'd leapt out of in his excitement.

In seven minutes he'd swapped out his green cargo shorts and white t-shirt for blue pants and sandals, a long sleeved fishnet shirt with a dark blue one over it. He made quick work securing his hitae-tae to its place on his forehead. Moving quickly over to his dresser he pulled open the top one and quickly grabbed a sealing scroll before tucking it away. During the beginning of their time training Kakashi had made it a point to always have supplies ready in case of an unexpected mission; as such he kept his gear sealed away for easy transport. Grabbing Ryuken from the sword rack he secured it to his back by usage of shoulder straps that blended in seamlessly with his shirt.

With everything collected instead of moving back out the window he closed and locked it before leaving his room a few quick steps and he was leaping over the railing for the stairs landing easily on his feet and out the door. Nearly ten minutes later he slid to a stop just before the gates with Sakura and Sasuke sliding to a stop just a few moments later. They waiting for only two minutes before Kakashi made his appearance walking up to the gates almost lazily with his stare focused directly into his book only for it to be snapped shut and slid away as he stopped in front of the trio of gennin. They were idle just long enough for Kakashi to check them out with the gate guards before they headed through the gates and immediately leapt up and into the trees.

"Alright kids quiz time, what do we know of the Oni Kyodai?" questioned Kakashi as they leapt through the trees.

"They actually are brothers and a pair of chuunin level nuke-nin from Kiri." Stated Sakura getting a nod.

"They were a part of an attempted coup de ta against the Mizukage and after it failed were forced to flee. Despite this they are rather low ranked as far as nuke-nin are concerned." Stated Sasuke.

"They specialize in assassination usually working in coordination with each other. Their weapon of choice is a pair of gauntlets one worn by each of them connected by a shuriken chain. The claws on their gauntlet's are also noted to be poisoned." Stated Naruto wrapping up the assessment.

Kakashi nodded pleased with what he was told. During the last few months he'd given each of them a copy of Konoha's Bingo Book and informed them to commit it to memory and to keep it with them whenever they headed outside of the village. Due to the nature of their team's designation he figured that it would only be a matter of time before they begun to run into nuke-nin during the course of their missions and as such had taken steps to prepare them for that. Travel after that was made in silence but they weren't dumb, under Kakashi all of them realized that after the failure of the Oni Kyodai this Gato would have to go for a jounin if his pockets were deep enough.

By the time they caught up with Kurenai and team eight the sun was only just nearing its apex. Looking upon the group Kakashi could see that the gennin looked like no harm had been done which was pretty good considering it was only their first run in with enemy shinobi. As he moved to speak with Kurenai, Naruto took that moment and made a beeline for Hinata the worry he had felt evaporating instantly at seeing that she was okay. The two of them had always been rather close and their mothers often joked it wouldn't be long until the two of them were married something that never failed to have Hinata blushing and twiddling her fingers, which he'd secretly always found kind of cute.

Removing a scroll from his pocket from another seal on the underside of his left arm he handed it to Hinata and motioned her to open it. Doing so Hinata was enshrouded in a plume of smoke yet even before it cleared had squealed a sound that stopped everything as she literally leapt out of the smoke and onto the blond giving him a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek in her excitement only to quickly move back to the scroll the smoke clearing to reveal an open container with a large cinnamon bun within it.

"I knew from how early it was you hadn't had one today and with the duration of the mission I had Akane make you another fourteen that are sealed inside so you should have more than enough to hold you over." Said Naruto to the girl who paused in her feeding just long enough to beam up at him before going back to it.

Looking at the sight from a bit of distance both jounin could only chuckle at the scene. Of course neither of them would comment as the two got enough teasing from their moms but Kurenai could definitely see the two of them together in the future. For her part Hinata was in heaven, she hadn't seen Naruto in weeks and he was her best friend and this surprise meeting had seriously brightened her mood, and not only that but he'd come bearing gifts. As a Hyuga despite the fortune she lived a pretty modest lifestyle and as heiress everything she ate was monitored for the good of her health and body. The cinnamon buns were her only deviation, and her guilty pleasure and everyone close to her knew that. Her father had made it a rule to have her intake monitored after she said she wanted to open a bakery just so she could make and eat cinnamon buns all day instead of being a kunoichi. Seeing her finishing her snack the two jounin took that moment to move back over upon finishing their conversation.

"Alright people listen up." Called Kurenai getting the groups attention.

"There's been a slight change of plans. Hokage-sama has decided to make this a joint mission between us and team seven. As Kakashi-san has seniority he will be in overall command for the duration of the mission; understood." Stated Kurenai getting nods from her team, though Kiba looked slightly confused he didn't say anything.

"Okay firstly before we go any further Tazuna-san we need you to answer some things for us." Stated Kakashi turning his gaze onto the client.

Turning towards him team seven found that the client Tazuna was a grey-haired, bespectacled man with a large beard and dark eyes. He stood at 5'8" and was large in stature with muscles that was obvious came from years of manual labor. Nodding his understanding Tazuna was surprised when it was not Kakashi who spoke but Naruto surprising many.

"Tazuna-san my name is Namikze-Uzumaki Naruto, I am the son of the Yondaime Hokage, and heir of the Uzumaki clan of Uzu no Kuni. It has been brought to my attention that many of our ships have been unable to make port in Nami no Kuni for some time now. Furthermore one of the members of one of Uzu's most prominent clans had been living in Nami no Kuni and we have lost all correspondence with him. I would simply like to know the current state of Nami no Kuni." Said Naruto and causing the man to sigh as he sagged in on himself.

"I see. The truth of the matter is that Nami no Kuni has been taken over by a man by the name of Gato." Said Tazuna causing Naruto's frown to deepen.

"You're not speaking about the owner of Gato shipping are you?" questioned the blond.

"One in the same. A few months ago he arrived in Nami and opened up a depot for his company. We thought it was great as it would create more jobs for the people. However before he ever opened he began buying up other businesses along the port. Those that refused to sell were soon forced to sign over everything willingly or were victims of 'accidents'. Soon enough he owned every business and as such gained control of the ports. Along with him he brought along a crew of mercenaries who have been enforcing his will on the people. We are a small shipping village so we never had anything like a militia in place as we never needed it. My son-in-law Kaiza had been looked at as a hero in the village and to break the will of the people Gato had him jumped, and beaten before he cut off his arms and finally had him executed in front of all of the townspeople. Since then he has taken everything from the people and has been running drugs and other illegal goods through the ports. The bridge we've been building is the only hope we have on breaking his hold on our country by connecting us to Hi no Kuni."

As Tazuna finished a scowl could be seen on several of the shinobi's faces, none more prominent than Naruto's who unsealed his wallet and removed a picture before handing it to Tazuna.

"Is that Kaiza?" questioned the blond getting a nod from the man only for Naruto to curse rather fluently.

"Naruto, what's going on?" questioned Kakashi.

"Kaiza is a prominent member of the Muramasa clan, he is Tenten's uncle, Tenchi's younger brother and one of the best forgers the clan has seen since his father. More than that he was a shinobi of Uzushio assigned to watch over the port and ensure that the shipments were picked up by Hi no Kuni's Daimyos representative. The last shipment is currently unaccounted for and neither is its payment altogether almost 834880000.00 yen (eight million dollars)."

As Naruto said this several eyes widened in shock while both Kakashi and Kurenai paled. As jounin the two knew exactly what Naruto was getting at, if a deal had been struck between the Daimyo and the Uzumaki clan head and either thought the other had done something foul they could soon be sitting on a real powder keg. And with the death of what was a prominent member of one of Uzu's biggest clans the shinobi of Uzushio would be out for blood, and Naruto just mentioning that the man was a shinobi told both jounin that Uzushio was past the rebuilding stage if they were sending out active undercover agents.

"Alright we will head to Nami no Kuni. Each day one team will guard over Tazuna-san as he builds the bridge while the other will do everything they can to learn everything there is about this Gato and his dealings. Let's move out."

AN: That's it chapters done. It's been a while so I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. That said thanks for reading, please review. Till next time LATER.


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